IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photpgrapbic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


^^ 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


y 


n 
n 

□ 


y 


D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommag6e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
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Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

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pas  6t6  film6es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires; 


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sont  indiquis  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□    Pages  damaged/ 
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I      I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 


D 


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Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxei 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu6es 

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Qualit^  indgale  de  I'impression 

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I  I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I  I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I  I  Only  edition  available/ 


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Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmd  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


T 


12X 


16X 


aox 


26 


i 


30X 


\J 


24X 


28X 


1 


32X 


Th«  copy  fllmad  h«r«  has  b««n  reproduced  thanks 
to  tha  gonarotity  of: 

Library  Diviiion 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Tha  Imagaa  appaaring  hara  r^»  tha  baat  quality 
possibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  iaglblllty 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacificationa. 


Original  copiat  in  printad  papar  covari  ara  filmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  ending  on 
the  leit  page  with  a  printad  or  iiluitratad  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  covar  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impreaaion. 


The  lest  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shell  contain  tha  symbol  <— ^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meening  "END"). 
whichever  applies. 

Meps,  pistes,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  retios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  fiim4  fut  reproduit  grice  A  ia 
g^niroait*  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Lea  imeges  sulvantas  ont  At*  reproduites  avac  ia 
plus  grand  soln,  compta  tenu  de  le  condition  et 
de  ia  nattet*  de  l'exemplaire  fiimA,  et  en 
conformit*  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
fiimage. 

Lea  exempiairea  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  fllmAs  en  commengan: 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  aoit  par  ia 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  ia  cas.  Tous  lea  autrea  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  an  commandant  par  ia 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
ia  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  ie 
cas:  le  symbols  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
fiimAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  ciichA,  ii  est  filmA  A  partir 
de  I'angie  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iilustrant  ia  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

t 


^yt^  ?f/>^ 


THE   JOURNEY 


oy 


MONCACHT-APE, 


ar 


Ain^RBW  McFARLAND  DAVIS. 


W^ 


B.         " 


S^giSKt  "MUm-S' 


j^iJi..'^ 


Z  O  — 


M 


Ac: 


THE     JOURNEY 


OF 


MONC  ACHT-APE, 


AN    INDIAN   OF   TIIF.   YAZOO   TRIBE, 


I 


ACROSS  THE  CONTINENT,  ABOUT  THE  YEAR  1700. 


ANDREW  McFARLAND   DAVIS. 


[FEOH  PRiMEElllXGB  "F  THE  AMEB      *N  ASTl.Jl  ABI.IN  SiKlirrV,  APSIL  3S,  188S.] 


WORCESTER,  MASS.,  U.  S.  A.: 

PRINTED    BY    CHAKLKS     HAMILTON, 

No.   311    Main    Stuf,et. 

18S3. 


1 


I 


T 


THE  JOntN'EY   OF  MONCACHT-APf:. 


Is  the  nutumu  of  1718  M.  LcPagc  tin  Pratz  IpiidoU  In  America.  lu 
company  with  abont  clirht  hundred  others  forwarded  by  the  "  Company 
of  the  West  "  he  hud  come  to  this  country  to  settle.  Ho  Urst  located 
near  New  Orleans,  where  Bienville  was  Mien  just  starting  a  new  settle- 
ment, but  tlie  situiitiou  of  his  grant  provlni:  unhealthy,  he  shortly  after- 
wards moved  up  to  Natchez.  There  he  scoured  a  farm,  on  which  he 
spent  eight  of  the  sixteen  years  lie  was  in  tli's  country.  He  had  served 
In  the  army  in  Germany  and  had  received  a  air  education.  He  was  of 
a  speculative  turn  of  ndnd,  fond  of  theorl/Z.n;.'  and  always  on  the  alert 
for  Information.  While  at  Natchez  lie  collected  and  transmitted  to 
Paris  no  less  than  three  hundred  plants  used  liy  the  Indians  as  remedies. 
He  cultivated  the  friendship  of  Ids  Indian  nei^'libors  and  studied  their 
hal)Its  and  tlieir  language.  In  1758  he  published  at  Paris  his  '•  Histoire 
<ie  la  Louislane,"  in  wlilch  in  addition  to  the  personal  experiences  and 
observations  there  recorded  lie  lias  treasured  up  much  tliat  he  garnered 
from  conversations  wltli  the  old  men  of  tlie  tribes  concerning  the  tradi- 
tions of  their  origin,  tlieir  religion  and  their  forms  of  government. 

The  Importance  attached  to  one  of  these  conversations  by  M.  de 
Quatrefages,  In  an  article  In  the  Revue  d'  Anthropologie,'  is  the  occ«- 
slon  of  this  paper.  The  story  of  JIoncacht-Apf's  journey  across  the 
continent  and  of  his  encounter  with  the  bearded  white  men  on  the 
North  Pacillc  Coast  of  this  country,  has,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
slumbered  in  the  i)ages  of  LePage  du  Pratz  until  it  was  revived  liy  de 
Quatrefages.  who  takes  pride  in  tlie  tliouglit  tliat  he  is.  as  he  believes, 
the  llrst  to  call  attention  to  its  importance. 

To  understand  the  merit  of  the  arguments  upon  which  he  bases  h'.s 
faith  in  the  story,  it  is  essential  that  the  whole  of  the  story  should  l)e 
read,  otherwise  one  can  neither  appreciate  tlie  importance  attaclied  to 
the  verisimilitude  of  its  style,  nor  measure  the  value  of  the  coincidences 
between  tlie  statements  of  the  Indian  concerning  this  unknown  region 
and  the  facts  as  revealed  by  Lewis  and  Clark  anil  other  subsequent 
explorers. 

We  turn  therefore  to  tlie  pages  of  LoPage  du  Pratz'  and  allow  Ulm  to 
introduce  the  story  In  his  own  words  ; — 

"  Wlien  the  Natchez  came  to  tlie  part  of  America  lu  which  I  found 
them  there  were  several  tribes  living  on  botli  sides  of  the  Mississippi 

'  Revue  d'Anthropologie.    Tome  4me.     1881.   ' 

•  Histoire  de  la  Loulsiaue,  par  M.  LePage  du  Pratz,  Paris,  1758.  v.  III., 
p.  87  et  seq. 


184246 


Thfv  cnllid  ("111  li  oiIht  Tinl  Mm.  iiiul  llii-lr  orlu'In  i>  cxtrciiu'ly  tiilllfiilt 
to  cllxiivii-.  I'lir  ilii'V  Imvi- iidl,  like  tin'  Niitrlicz.  picM'TVcd  tlicli-  trndi- 
tlnii^  ii'ir  li.'ivc  tlicy  ni't>  iiiiil  ^ciciiLi'.  like  Hit'  Mi'xicaiis,  fmiii  whicli  one 
can  ilnnv  iniliiiliinis.  'i'iw  (nily  tliiiiir  to  he  Iriinicd  fnun  tlicrii  Is,  what 
tlifV  iiniirliilily  >ny.  tliiil  llic  y  ciiim'  Inini  tlic  Nuitli-Wist,  ami  llic  spot 
llial  tlicy  point  oiii  « itli  tliclr  lliii.'i-rs  no  mailer  wlicrc  they  imiy  lir  at  the 
tiiiir,  >lioulil  I'l'  altoiit  llfiy-lhc  Ui'lth's  of  latitude.  This  ineatfi'e  inl'or- 
nintlon  not  helnu  sallsraeiory  to  me,  I  made  imiuii'y.  If  amoni.'  the  iiel^ili- 
iioiinu'  tl'ilieslhel'ewiis  not  »ome  wise  old  man  whoeoiild  enli;;lilen  me  fiir- 
lliiT  on  ihi-  point.  I  \va-  e.Mi-emely  i-ejoleed  to  learn  thai  in  the  nation 
of  the  Yazoo-,  Ml  a  di«lanee  of  foi'ty  leairiu's  from  .Vatelie/.,  sneh  an  one 
eonld  he  fonnd.  UN  name  was  Moncaeht-.\pf'.  He  was  a  nnni  of  conr- 
aiie  and  spirit.  I  can  I'.o  no  hettor  than  eonipare  him  to  tlio  early 
tireeks,  who  travelled  anioni;  the  Kastern  people  to  examine  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  the  dlH'erent  countries  and  then  returned  to  coin- 
mnnicate  what  they  had  learne<|  to  their  countrymen.  Not  that  Mon- 
eacht-.\pe  ac'lually  carrhMl  out  sncli  a  project  as  this,  hut  lie  ronceived 
the  idia  and  did  what  he  could  to  carry  it  out.  I  took  advantaije  of  a 
vi«it  thill  was  |i,ai(l  me  hy  this  native  (d'  the  Va/.oo  Nation.  calle<l  by  the 
French  •  the  interpi'eter '  tiecause  he  sjicaks  so  many  Indian  lanauaifes, 
but  known  amom;  his  ow  n  people,  as  1  iiave  already  said,  as  Moncacht- 
Ape.  which  mean-  •  one  who  kills  dillicultles  or  fntl'j;iu'.'  In  fact,  the 
tra\  els  (d' many  viMr- did  not  alt'eet  lii- pliy-i(|Ui'.  I  beijiied  him  tore- 
pent  to  me  iin  account  of  his  travel-,  ondftinir  nothinir.  My  proposition 
seemed  to  please  him.  I  shall  make  om-  traveller  speak  in  the  llrst  per- 
son, but  1  -hall  aliridne  hi-  voyage  to  the  Kastern  Toast,  hecau.se  he 
"speaks  there  laru'ely  of  Canada  which  is  very  well  known.  I  shall  only 
report  what  there  was  in  it  of  importance.     He  hsi-an  as  follows: — 

'•  ■  I  hail  lo-t  my  wife,  and  the  children  tliat  I  had  l)y  her  were  dead 
before  her,  when  I  undertook  my  trip  to  tlie  country  wliere  the  sun 
rises.  I  left  my  village  notwithstandiiiif  all  my  relations.  I  was  to 
take  counsel  with  the  t'hickasaws.  our  friends  and  neiiilihors.  I  re- 
nniined  some  days  to  tind  out  if  they  knew  whence  we  nil  came,  or  at 
lea-t,  if  thiy  knew  whi'nce  they  themselves  came:  they  who  are  our 
ancestors,  -ince  It  i-  from  them  that  the  l:uii:uay:e  of  the  people  comes; 
hut  they  coidd  teach  nie  iiotliiuy  new.  For  tills  reason  I  resolved  to  jjo 
to  the  nations  on  the  coast  where  the  sun  rises,  to  learn  al)OUt  them, 
and  to  know  if  tlieir  old  ianuuai:e  was  the  -anie.  They  tauirlit  me  the 
route  that  I  mn-t  take,  in  order  to  avoid  the  lnri;e  villages  of  the  whites 
for  fear  that  they  miirht  he  :invny  to  see  me — me  a  strantier.  I  reached 
tile  country  of  the  Shawnee-,  the  point  where  I  was  to  take  up  the 
river  Wabash  (ihio:.  and  I  followed  it  up  nearly  to  its  source  which  Is 
in  the  country  of  the  Iroiniois.  but  I  left  them  to  the  side  of  the  cold 
[north]  and  I  went  into  a  villafre  of  the  Alienaiiuai-  which  was  in  my 
route.  I  remained  there  until  the  cold  weather,  wliicli  In  Ihis  country 
Is  very  severe  and  very  Ion,:;,  was  over.  Dnrins  this  winter  I  grained 
tile  friendship  of  a  man  a  little  older  than  myself,  who  was  eiiunlly  fond 
of  traveliliitf.  He  promised  to  come  witli  me  luul  to  conduct  me,  be- 
cause he  knew  the  way,  to  the  tJreat  Water  which  I  wished  to  see  .sineo 
I  li:iil  heard  it  talked  abonl.  As  soon  as  the  snows  were  melted  nnd  the 
weather  settled,  I  started  with  hini  and  we  avoided  the  Indian  settle- 
ments. We  rested  frequently  on  the  way,  liecnuse  this  country  is  full 
of  stiiiie-  which  made  our  feet  sore,  especially  mine,  beliiff  nnaccustomed 
to  anythiuL'  of  the  sort.  After  havliiy;  travelled  several  days  we  saw 
the  Great  Water,  When  I  saw  it  I  was  so  content  that  I  could  not 
speak,  and  my  eyes  seemed  to  me  to  be  too  small  to  look  at  It  at  my 
ease,  hut  ni^rlit  overtook  us  and  we  encainpeil  near  at  hand,  upon  an 
elevation.     The  water  was  near  Ijut  below  us.     The  wind  was  high  nnd 


■without  (loulit  vi'Xi'il  lh(.'  fiiTnt  Wiitor.  for  it  iii!i(l<:  --o  iiindi  iiuNc  lliat 
1  ciiiild  iiDt  slfep.  I  feared  llinl  llu'  hlcivvs  Hint  It  «i\\c>  wmilil  bi^'tik 
tlo«  a  the  hel^lit  where  we  were,  nlthoiijili  it  wa-  of  ••liiiie. 

"■Tliesiiii  had  not  a]i|ieared  wlieii  1  rose  to  «ee  tlie  dreat  Water.  I 
was  imieli  siu'prl?*ed  to  see  tliat  it  was  far  away.  I  was  a  lom;  time 
wlth(piit  speakiiii;  to  my  <oiiirade,  wIki  llioiiaiif  from  seeing  ine  all  tiie 
time  lookliiu:  iilioiit  aii(i  not  speaking  that  Iliad  lost  my  wits.  I  eoiiUl 
not  understand  how  tliiseoidd  be.  Finally,  the  wind  havliii.'  ceased,  the 
sun  arose.  The  (ireat  Water  was  not  so  much  dlstnrhed  a«  it  was  on 
the  precedin;:  niy;lil,  and  I  saw  with  sm-piise  that  it  returned  towards 
us.  1  sprang  lip  fl"l<'kly  and  lied  with  all  my  streiiirth.  My  comrade 
called  out  to  me  not  to  lie  afraid.  I  sliouti'd  to  him.  on  my  p.irt,  that 
the  (ireat  Water  was  comiii!;  towards  us  anil  that  we  should  lie  drowned. 
He  then  reassiu'ed  me,  sayliii;  that  the  red  men  who  had  seen  tin'  I  ireat 
Water  had  observed  that  it  always  ailvaiiced  as  much  as  it  rei'eilcd,  but 
that  it  never  came  farther  up  on  the  earih  at  oiu'  tiiiK-  than  anothi-r. 
When  he  had  thu-.  satisiled  me  we  returned  to  the  shore  of  tie-  (ireat 
Water,  and  remained  there  until  the  inlddh'  of  tlu'  <lay  when  I  saw  It, 
reeedinii,  l'o  afar  oil'.  We  left  to  an  to  sleep  far  oH'  from  the  noise, 
which  followed  me  everywhere,  and  even  till  eveninit  I  spoke  of  iiothinjf 
else  to  my  comrade.  We  arrived  ai  the  lianUs  of  a  lillle  river,  where  we 
lay  down  to  rest,  but  I  thouu'ht  of  it  all  I  he  niylit.  Wi-  retook  the  route 
that  we  had  followed  111  iroin^  and  arrived  at  his  home,  where  they 
were  ;:lail  to  see  us. 

'•  •  This  village  Is  in  the  country  at  some  distance  from  the  (ireat 
Water  whence  we  hail  come,  and  they  hail  not  seen  It  except  between  the 
lands  where  the  iffc'it  river  of  the  country  loses  itself.  In  this  ivuion 
where  they  had  seen  it,  it  advances  and  receiles.  but  much  less  than  in 
the  place  where  we  had  seen  it.  These  peoide  believe  that  the  (ireat 
Water  over  which  the  French  come  with  their  tloatinir  villaiies.  which 
the  winds  move  by  pullln;;  out  the  irreat  sails  which  tliey  bear,  they 
believe,  I  say,  that  this  (ireat  Water  was  like  several  (ireat  Waters  that 
they  have  In  their  countrv  which  are  surrounded  w  itii  land  and  of  which 
the  water  Is  ifood  to  drink,  in  place  of  wiiich  that  where  we  were  i-  ~alt 
and  bitter.  I  know  It  liecaiise  1  put  sume  of  it  in  my  mouth.  More- 
over the  French  say  it  takes  more  than  two  niooii^  to  come  to  our 
country,  whereas  the  (ireat  Waters  of  their  coiiutry  can  be  crossed  in 
two  or  three,  or  at  most  in  four  days  for  the  larirest.  anil  all  that  I  liave 
seen  agrees  with  what  the  French  have  told  inc.  that  this  water  touches 
all  lanils  and  Is  as  lar;ie  as  the  earth. 

"  •  They  listened  to  me  with  pU'asure  for  n  hmu:  time,  and  an  old  innn 
who  was  there  told  me  that  he  had  been  in  a  [ilace  where  t'le  :;reat  river 
of  their  country  [.St.  Lawrence]  precipitated  itself  from  so  liiiih  and 
with  so  much  noise  that  it  could  be  heard  a  li;df  day's  jour  ley  distant; 
that  as  I  was  curious,  I  should  do  well  to  see  this  place  when  the  cold 
weather  should  be  over.  1  resolved  to  ;io  there.  I  told  my  coinr.ide  who 
had  .iccompaniid  me  to  the  (ireat  Water,  and  In  promised  to  an  with 
mo.  I  liad  in  truth  a  jireat  desire  to  see  tills  jihice  whicii  seemed  wortiiy  to 
be  seen.  I  passed  the  winter  in  th's  place  and  v.as  very  impatii'iit  because 
It  was  lon.ii.  It  Is  impossible  to  hunt  'Xcept  with  rackets  on  the  feet,  to 
get  accustomed  to  which  caused  me  iniicli  troulile.  This  is  unfortunate, 
for  the  country  is  ^ood.  Finally,  the  winter  beiiiLr  over,  the  snow 
melted,  the  weather  ^ood,  ami  our  provisions  prepared,  >ve  packerl  our 
bundles,  and  my  comrade  took  a  hatchet,  with  tlie  use  of  which  he  was 
familliir.  It  was  for  the  purpose  of  makin;;  me  a  duir-out.  upon  which, 
foUowlujj  the  counsel  that  was  u;iven  me,  I  should  cinliark  upon  the  river 
Ohio,  as  it  is  called  in  this  country,  the  Wabash  as  we  call  it,  and  by 
this  menus  I  could  return  to  mv  villavre  more  ea-ilv  and  in  less  time  than 


■^^ 


If  I  should  rotiini  on  font.  W*-  (lc;mrvi<  'Hun  mil  rraTclltMl  for  sovoral 
(lays  ln'fiiri'  HiiiliuL'  the  ^Tfiit  rUi-r  'A  rnar  '."inrry.  «'.•  illil  not  lack 
for  MKiit  on  our  rout*.  Jlit-r*-  i»  uu  u'.mv!im"'i»  ■■?  huifiiloei  unci  also  of 
other  i;nnic.  liuf  ii«  tlii>.i'  niiiimii*  lun»  i  xi'»ar  lenl  of  trouhU-  to  live 
wliilo  «uo\v  1m  on  the  u'roiinil  tiny  «>t>ii'.>i  ■}*r  f.ir.  Wlit-n  wi>  linil  nrrlved 
upon  the  Imnks  of  tlii-  j.'''>-iit  r!\w.  ««•  f<v*T^t\.  Tht-  nt-xt  day  we 
trnviUfd  with  tin.'  curri'iit  of  tin  «Bt,»i»  i,;v  «•,•  nrciv  too  hlifli  up  for 
the  pln.c  tliat  we  cunie  to  Kt-e.  J- oli' -w-utr  >rl>iir,  hivl  heen  told  us,  we 
co:'ld  iiot  he  di'celvid  in  tludiiii:  thiK  » i!i.»''-i!;iJl,  for  iWf.  hrars  the  noise 
from  afar,  as  we  disi  o\ereil  on  our  umffiMH-li.  Wf  iin-..sfd  the  nlifht 
wheri'  the  noise  wa-  already  stron;:  'nr.  ii-iii  i»noiiarh  to  hinder  us  from 
sleeplnu'.  As  soon  as  day  broke  wt  '\t^ywM  f.ir  rhis  plare  of  wlileh  all 
men  speak  with  wonder.  Fortuuut^ly  mi  '.ii'l  miin  li.id  indiieed  us  to  take, 
before  leavlni;  the  vilhij.'e  some  buBitti'j  ♦  -w.mh  r.o  pur,  in  our  ears;  with- 
out that  we  should  truly  have  beioui»  '>:ii5  rlirnnurh  the  irreat  noise  uiado 
by  this  wati'r  in  falllut'  from  >•<>  liii'ti.  3  iiul  iji»v'i»r  been  able  to  believe 
w'hat  the  old  man  had  told  me.  but  \vii.-i  ti-j  ..y,.^  ,ind  my  sen.ses  beheld, 
1  thouirht  he  had  not  »aid  eiiouirh  for  liiiirt  viiiett  my  eyes  saw. 

••  •  This  river  does  not  fall.  It  i^  u*  J5  ''  were  i-iwr,  the  same  a.s  \.ien 
an  arrow  falls  to  the  ground.  Tlu^  ».ijiin  Auult*  my  hair  "tand  on  end  and 
my  itesh  creep.  Xeverthele>■^.  ufVM  iiiiviair  Uwt<.-d  for  a  suttlclently  lonjj 
time,  my  heart  whiih  had  been  iiirit«1^-l  ^eeame  .piii-t.  .\s  soon  as  I 
perceived  It  was  (piiet  I  -i>oke  to  niy«td  uut  <iiid,  U'liat  thenl  Am  I 
not  a  man?  AVhat  I  see  is  naiorul  ttu<l  wttii»p  men  have  passe<l  under  this 
river.  Why  should  not  I  |'a»-s  therer  Jt  ;*  twif  rhar  only  Frenchmen 
have  passed  there  and  that  red  mt^u  ^'j  tiin  iinilerTake  the  pa.-sa8;e ;  but  I, 
Moueacht-Ai)<'.  ouclit  I  to  fear  more  iiiittv  .murlier  man?'  -No.'  .said  I, 
In  a  low  tone.  I  ou;fht  not  to  few.  .1  iew.i'niled  at  onre  and  passed 
under  and  rame  aek.  1  pastted  tTrtjitiuniy  .'lUicli.  for  althou;{h  I  had 
buffalo's  wool  In  my  ear-,  the  uoixe  «jt»  ov  ♦rpinar  rliat  I  was  ;;lddy.  I 
■was  not  so  mneh  drenched  u^  3  iiu'.l  w^i^ffM  'o  he  liefore  I  wi'ut  In. 
After  Imvln;:  examined  the  heiirht  of  T.ut*  ftij;  I  believe  that  the  Kcd 
men  -|)eak  tin'  truth  wli.-n  'hey  aowwn  "iuir  it  i-»  of  tlie  heif.'ht  of  one 
hundreil  Hed  men  who  are  rather  luli"jiiuui  wliires.  U'e  were  detained 
so  loni;  lookini.'  at  what  J  Inne  wwrve^i  t'aat.  we  were  compelled  to 
camp  for  the  nljilit  on  the  other  ••kle  "i  i. -v.vid.  ivhlch  notwithstanding 
Its  thickness  did  not  «top  the  ui>iM.  .,rj  -liii*  \vaTi»rs.  fi,r  we  still  heard  It. 
It  is  true  that  our  ear-.  althou;rh  »rti.>)>;«i'!  up,  wert-  full  of  It,  and  for 
more  than  ten  day-  after  J  "till  ihoiu^iii  D  ieavd  ir. 

•  •  The  next  day  we  toi.,k  tlie  •.uor,*-*.-  >iwli  f.ip  the  Ohio  River.  When 
we  reached  thiTe  we  followed  do«i;  '.x;>*  f.v.^v  ro  a  point  where  there 
was  no  more  wood  to  jirevfut  me  is'.tui  JsUiwvluu;  its  waters  to  the  great 
river  of  our  coiuitry.  which  pa<-he^  \  <iri  iHa»  here.  This  was  the  way 
that  1  wished  to  take,  as  I  had  beei;  ii.ii41  ji  iroiild  rake  me  to  my  village. 
When  we  were  at  the  place  where  3  wv*hr  to  take  the  water,  we  cut 
down  a  tree  of  -oft  wood:  we  iiiatle  Ui  i;*tiiirt  rime  my  little  diiir-out. 
In  truth  it  wa-  not  well  finished.  Oiri  ih-  Lr  wa.'*  ro  de-ceinl  with  the 
current,  it  was  better  than  a  liirirt  ',uie.  Jfy  duir-out  belnir  made,  I 
slia|ied  a  [laildle.  I  also  made  ii  \i\u%  J'Mjit  VCrf  placed  the  dug-out  in 
the  water  and  fastened  it  with  my  biu't  mii)e ;  then  we  went  hunting. 
AVe  killed  two  l)Ut1'aloes.  the  meat  'JS  'V''\\i''.\  x.»  smoked.  My  comradfr 
took  his  -hare,  and  I  jilaeed  the  r'f-n  tu  niii*  dnur-out.  We  parted  with 
hearts  botuid  toi.'etlier  like  good  JWrnitU 'v!io  love  one  another.  If  he 
had  been  without  a  wife  and  ihU<U«u  'oi*  ■.vnitld  have  ji.ined  me  in  my 
trip  to  the  West  of  whieli  1  h.ave  ".jKiiniu 

••  •  I  entered  my  dug-out  and  det,e«U'li»i41  M  my  ea.-<e  the  Ohio  River  ta 
our  great  river,  which  we  call  Mea'-fl-'uncr-Hpi.  without  n\eeting  any 
man  in  the  Ohio  River.    I  .'lai.i  not  ))r•,K^^}v'^'^^  ix(  in  the  Great  River  before 


I  rai't  two  plrojriii'>i  full  of  Arkaiw.**.  »Uiv  "..ins  :i  calnmet  to  the  Illinois, 
niio  nre  tluMr  t>r()tli<T«.  Tli»'Ui-.»-  I  •:i»*M»ttili'il  :ill  flit-  tlmi'  oven  to  our 
little  river.  «l  'ili  I  enured,  hut  t*'i»ij<I  J.w  .in.»  at  ■iiir  nelithljori,  whom 
I  happily  met.  i  nevi-r  ^lioulil  Uav.  4»»tti  .Wii^  u,  ■x-cfni\  to  our  village.  I 
saw  with  joy  my  rehitiou-.  «  ho  •♦•r*  x!M'  r,t  «»i«  nif  in  ifood  hcnltli.' 

'•  Suoii  \va*  tile  uarrHtivf  il^ut  J8imu'.»'1i1!-.%p*  ir.ive  me  of  liU  jour- 
ney to  the  En^t.  wlierc  he  Ifurutid  WJ^AviXis ''.i;af  f.mlnit  the  matters  which 
lie  WHS  inve-tliratinif.     It  \>-  tru*  itf  iM'.  *>'»n  thr-  oc>  He  had  seen  It 

In  11  «tnte  of  ajritiitiou.  H»-  had  \viiiii>*«.»d  rhn  i>bli  nnd  i  of  the  tide. 
He  liad  examined  tlie  famous  liUl-  w  Jf.ii'xii":i.  .md  ne  m  r  i  talk  Intelll- 
irentiy  of  tliem.  .ill  thi^  '"Uld  ii'.<t  iM:  r.,  i-,i>  ^uri-if.irto  'v  to  a  curious 
nuin,  wii(j  had  nothluj:  eKe  to  ''.io  tiiui  w:i\t.^I  for  'i.rornintion,  to  ilo 
which  he  had  but  to  malie  sUuilw  ■ssjji'ilitionH  '  i  that  vhlch  he  had 
made  to  the  East. 

'•Tlie  fnliure  of  the  Mf)i»  tii.li>-i,  •.■'  Hr.nctu-ht-Apf:  ilurini;  f-everol 
years,  far  from  extiuii-ulKhiiiju'  ili».  :.wrri»  rh.-ir  he  had  to  learn,  only 
excited  him  tlie  more.  iJel'-niinif:'  Vr  M.Mmpt  ivnyfUinii  to  dispel  the 
ignorance  in  which  he  j«erceiv»'.i  Hii!,i  m  ww  lmnrjr§ed,  he  persisted 


hN  j-i-oplfi-  rt  design  which 
d  which  w  )Uld  never  have 
-  lerermineii  tli-n  to  go  from 
.:"  in  rho  country  from  wliich 
■  :\T.  he  couM  there  learn  many 
•  crrni'i*.  He  undertook  the 
liC  return  for  tive  years.  He 
lay  after  he  had  repeated  to 


lu  tlie  desijfn  of  di»covennt'  the 
demanded  as  much   spirit   a-   ■ '  ■   ■  i .       ! 
entered  tlio  liruin  of  an  ordiuu!>  ■   i  ■ 
nation  to  nation  until  he '•houli.i  ♦■. 
his  ancestors  eniiirriited,  beint'  l"'  ■    i 
thini;s  whicli  tliey  had  fort'"!''  •      ■ 
journey  to  the  West,  from  wlij';    ... 
gave  me  tiie  following  detaJJt  1Ii»  irtsr. 
me  tliat  of  the  East ; — 

'•  •  My  preparations  were  umd'  viiC  '«'ii»a  'I'le  arrain  wa*  ripe'  I  prepared 
some  provisions  for  the  joui-u*^.  bu;  I!  .|Kparr.-il,  follovvin;:  tlic  hijfh 
laud  in  which  we  live  [to  the  euM  <.4  n;ii»  rt?i»v  to  the  Wabash  Ohio)]. 
I  followed  the  stream  uji  for  a  ijujutiw  '<'l!  .i  day  aljove  the  place  where  it 
loses  itself  in  the  Great  Kiver  'M.i*«i*»tj>sii ' .  in  order  to  he  able  to  cross 
it  witliout  being  carried  into  tin  ',«tll«ir  When  I  s.aw  tliat  it  was  liiah 
enough,  I  made  a  raft  of  cune»  uu'U  » i!.:.rl,»  onni-h  of  canes  wliicli  served 
nie  for  a  paddle.  I  thus  cro«j,»ii:l  tin  W:th(wh  [Ohio],  and  began  my 
journey  on  the  prairies,  wlicrt  liit  iaJ:i»-<  irin  hut  just  t)ei.'inning  to 
spring'  up.  Tlie  next  day.  lowaj-'J*  liitt  midiile  of  the  day.  I  found  a 
small  troop  of  l)ull'aloes.  whicb  |iernij!ti!,»i  1  la^.  to  approach  so  near  to  tliem 
that  I  killed  a  cow  suttlcieutly  iiel.  i  n.',i-,k  the  tenderloin,  tlie  hump  and 
the  tongue,  and  left  the  rest  for  iiIm;  w.ii?.*^.  [  w;is  heavily  loaded,  Viut 
I  did  not  liave  far  to  go  to  lem-ii  l^*  TTiiim.iraas,  one  of  the  villages  of 
the  Illinois  nation.  When  J  vn*  in  nlii-»  nation  I  rested  a  few  ilays, 
prejiaring  to  continue  my  jourm-j..  Atfj^v  this  little  rest  I  pursued  my 
way,  mounting  to  tlit  Noith.  evrm  Vii  she  Mi-'souri.  As  soon  as  I  was 
opposite  tills  river.  I  jirepared  to  'ir'j>»+-he  'i-reat  River  [Mississippi]  so 
as  to  arrive  on  the  north  of  ih»-  >fi>*'iivvi.  To  etfect  this.  I  ascended 
sulliciently  high  and  made  a  rajl  *••  S  lunl  done  to  cr^i^s  tlie  Wabash 
[Ohio],  i  crossed  the  <irfiit  iijv.ttf-  'J|Ii:-«i'-»ippi^  from  East  to  West. 
When  I  was  near  the  bank  I  perui.rtAM'J  luy-^if  to  ilrift  with  the  curi'cnt 
until  I  wa.A  at  tlie  st".l  point  whfj'e  oHie  swo  rivers  meet.  In  descending 
upon  this  point  I  found  tliere  vjuie  SniWiWrls.  which  h.icl  no  fear  of  man. 
I  killed  one.  .4s  I  went  to  iikils  jl  nt)  I!  -^w  my  raft,  which  I  had 
abandoned  liecause  I  liad  uo  funlliw  '«'«»  for  it.  It  had  been  drawn 
quietly  down  Iiy  the  ciineut  kIoiu:  "V  ■•h.ire.  but  when  it  reached  the 
point  wliere  tlie  two  water*  uiMei..  iili»5  r,'i«'-«t»d  it  iboiit  and  scemetl  to 
quarrel  as  to  which  should  iiavt^  ii.    i  v  wrlied  it  as  long  as  I  could,  for 


'Probably  when  the  corn  wa*  ^'ixitCii*  foas'ing  ear." 


I  had  never  seen  waters  flftlit  like  that,  as  if  eacii  of  tliem  wislied  to 
have  a  part  of  it.  Finally  I  lost  si}j;ht  of  it.  What  seemed  extraordinary 
to  me  and  gave  me  jrreat  iileiisure  was  to  see  the  two  waters  niini^le 
themselves  tojretlier.  Their  (litferencc  is  threat,  for  the  Great  Kiver 
[Mississippi]  wliicli  I  had  just  evussed,  is  very  clear  above  the  Missouri, 
although  lielow  it  is  muddy  even  to  the  fireat  Water  [ocean].  This 
conies  from  the  >Iiss(juri.  whose  waters  are  always  muddy  in  all  its 
course,  which  is  very  loni'.  I  saw  also  that  these  two  waters  flowed 
for  a  long  distance,  side  l)y  side,  that  on  the  West  lieing  muddy,  and  on 
the  Kast  the  water  is  clear.  I  a>ccniled  the  Missouri  on  the  North  l)ank, 
and  I  travelled  several  days  before  arriving  at  tlie  Missouri  nation, 
whom  I  liad  some  dilllculty  to  find.  I  remained  there  long  enough  not 
only  to  rest  myself,  but  also  to  learn  the  language  spoken  a  little  further 
on.  I  was  surfeited  on  my  trij)  with  tlie  humps  and  tenderloins  of 
buffaloes  which  I  had  killed.  I  never  saw  so  many  of  these  animals  as 
in  this  country,  where  you  can  see  prairies  of  the  length  of  a  day's 
journey  and  more  covere<l  witli  tliem.  The  .Missourls  live  almost 
exclusively  on  meat,  and  they  only  use  maize  as  a  relief  from  l)uft'alo  and 
other  game,  of  which  they  have  great  (|uantity.  1  passed  the  winter 
with  them,  during  wliich  so  much  snow  fell  that  it  covered  the  earth  as 
deep  as  a  man's  waist. 

"  '  Wlien  the  wintei-  vva-.^  over  1  resunnil  my  journey  and  ascended  the 
Missouri  till  1  arrived  at  the  nation  of  thi^  We>t.  [They  are  also  called 
the  Canzfs].  There  I  gathered  Information  of  what  I  wanted  to  know 
so  as  to  arrange  for  the  future.  They  told  nie  that  to  go  to  the  country 
from  whence  we  as  well  as  they  came  would  be  very  ditlioult,  because 
the  nations  were  far  away  from  tlie  Mi.-s,iiiri.  That  alsv;  when  I  should 
have  travelled  about  a  montli,  it  would  be  necessary  for  nie  to  liear  to 
my  right,  taking  directly  Nortli,  where  I  should  (Ind  at  several  day's 
journeys  another  river  wliicli  runs  from  the  East  to  the  West,  conse- 
quently directly  opposite  to  the  Missouri.  That  I  shoulil  follow  this  river 
until  I  should  tlnd  the  nation  of  the  ()tter>,  where  I  could  rest  myself 
and  couUl  learn  more  fully  w  hat  was  necessary,  and  perhaps  tlnd  some 
persons  who  would  accominuiy  me.  For  the  rest  I  coi|ld  descend  this 
river  in  a  dug-out  and  travel  a  great  distance  without  fatigue. 

"  '  With  these  instructions  I  continued  my  route,  following  constantly 
for  one  moon  the  Missouri,  and  although  I  had  travelled  sutliciently  fast, 
I  did  not  yet  dare  to  take  to  the  right  as  they  had  told  me,  t)ecause  for 
many  days  1  had  seen  mountains  which  I  hoitated  to  pass  for  fear  of 
wounding  my  feet.  Xevertheless,  it  wa>  ueeosary  fur  me  ti>  come  to  a 
conclusion.  Having  taken  this  resolve  for  the  next  day.  1  determined  to 
sleep  where  I  was  and  made  a  tin-.  Shortly  after,  while  wntchlnu'  the 
sun  which  had  already  gone  considerably  down,  I  saw  some  smoke  at 
some  distance  oil'.  I  did  not  doulit  that  this  was  a  party  of  hunters  who 
proposed  to  pass  tlie  night  in  this  place,  and  It  entered  my  mind  that 
they  might  lielong  to  the  (Jtters.  I  liiiniediately  left  In  order  that  I 
might  be  guided  to  them  by  the  ~moki'  while  it  was  yet  daylight.  I 
joined  them  and  they  saw  me  with  surprise.  Thi'y  were  a  [larty  of  thirty 
men  and  some  women.  Their  lanirmige  was  unknmvn  to  nie  and  we 
were  only  able  to  comniunieati'  by  siu-ns.  Nevertlieless,  ivith  the 
exception  of  their  surprise,  they  received  nie  well  enough,^ and  T 
remained  three  days  with  thein.  At  the  end  of  this  time  one 'of  tlie 
■wives  told  her  husbainl  'that  she  bellevi'd  herself  ready  for  lying  in. 
Upon  that  the  others  sent  this  man  and  Ills  wife  to  the  village,  iind  told 
them  to  take  me  with  them  in  order  that  I  mly:ht  travel  by  an  easier 
road  than  that  which  I  was  mi  tlie  |ioint  of  takini;. 

"  '  We  ascended  the  Missouri  still  for  nine  short  days,  tlien  we  turned 
directly  North  and  travelled   for  live  ihiys.  at  the  cud    d'   wlilcli  time 


!1 


we  found  a  river  witli  clear  and  beantll'iil  water.  They  called  it 
"  The  lieaiitifnl  liiver."  'I'liis  man  and  Ids  wife  a-kid  nie  by  sijins 
if  I  did  not  wi'^li  to  liatlie,  as  tliey  did,  because  i  uas  loni;  since 
they  liad  liatlied.  I  tcld  tlieui  in  tlie  »aine  way  tijat  J  also  liad  ureat 
need  of  a  hatli,  but  that  I  was  afraid  of  croeiidiles.  Tliey  made  me 
understand  tliat  tiicre  were  none  liere.  Upon  their  assurance  I  bathed 
and  did  it  witli  srreat  pleasure  in  this  beautiful  water. 

"  '  We  descended  the  Beautiful  liiver  diirinn-  tlie  rest  of  the  day,  till  we 
arrived  upon  the  Ijanks  of  a  stream  which  we  recoirnized  wliere  this 
trooj)  of  hunters  had  concealed  their  dug-outs.  My  guide  liavini;  drawn 
out  his  own.  we  three  entered  and  descended  to  theb-  village,  where  we 
did  not  arrive  till  night.  I  was  as  well  received  by  this  nation  as  if  I 
had  l)een  one  of  them.  Dnrini;  the  journey  I  had  picl<ed  up  a  few  words 
of  tlieir  language  and  I  very  ^oon  learned  it,  becau.se  I  was  always  with 
the  oh!  men  who  love  to  instruct  tlie  younir,  as  the  young  love  to  be 
instructed  and  converse  freely  with  each  other.  l"  have  noted  this 
generally  in  all  the  natives  tliat  I  have  seen.  This  nation  was  really  the 
Utters  wleini  I  souiiht.  As  I  was  very  well  treated  there  I  would 
willinirly  liave  made  a  longer  stay,  and  it  seemed  to  me  tliat  they  also 
wished  it.  But  my  desi4.'U  'ccupied  me  always.  I  determined  toleave 
with  >-ouie  of  this  people  who  were  L'oing  to  carry  a  calumet  to  a  nation 
thronirh  wliicli  I  must  pass,  who,  I)eing  brothers  nf  those  whom  I  was 
about  to  iiuit,  spoke  the  same  language  with  some  slight  dltfercnces.  I 
parted  then  with  the  Otters,  and  we  doceiided  the  ••  Beautiful  Kiver"  in 
a  piroitnt  for  eigliteeu  days,  putting  mi  slifire  from  time  to  time 
to  hunt,  and  we  did  not  want  for  game.  I  sliould  have  liked  to 
pnsli  on  further,  following  alwys  the  •'  Beautiful  Kiver,"  for  I  did  not 
become  fatigued  in  the  pirogne,  but  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  yield  to 
the  reasons  opposed  to  it.  They  told  me  that  tlie  lieat  was  already 
great,  that  the  iirass  wa^  hiiih  and  the  serpents  dangerous  in  this  season, 
and  that  I  miirht  lie  liitten  in  goiiiir  to  the  cliase,  and  that  moreover  it 
was  nece>sary  that  I  should  iearii  the  laii:iuage  of  .lie  nation  where  I 
wished  to  no,  whicli  would  be  much  easier  wlien  I  should  know  tluit  of 
tlie  country  where  I  was.  I  followed  the  advice  that  the  oUl  men  of 
t'.'s  nation  yave  me  witii  tiie  less  hesitation  that  I  saw  tliat  their  liearts 
am!  their  mouths  -poke  to^'ether.  They  loved  nie  and  I  did  not  go 
to  till  cliase  except  for  amusement,  liurinii  the  winter  that  I  passed 
with  tlieni.  I  set  myself  to  work  to  learn  the  lauauauo  of  the  peojile 
where  I  iuteiideil  to  go,  becau-e  with  it  they  assured  me  that  I  could 
make  myself  understood  by  all  the  peojde  that  I  should  llnd  from  that 
point  to  the  "(ireat  Water,"  wliicli  is  at  the  West,  tlie  ditl'erence 
between  their  lanKUage-  not  being  L'l'eat. 

••'The  warm  weather  was  not  yet  entirely  over  wlien  I  got  in  a 
piroirne  with  plenty  of  breadstnlt's'  [  vuaules  eu  farine  IhQcixufiC  these 
nations  do  not  cultivate  maize.  aU''ough  the  soil  seems  very  good. 
They  cultivate  only  a  little  as  a  cur'  ...  .  I  had  in  my  pirogue  only  my 
provision-,  a  pot,  a  bowl  and  what  i  needed  for  my  beti,  and  if  I  had 
liad  some  Indian  corn  nothing  would  have  been  wantiiiir.  Tims,  not 
beiu:,'  enibiirrassed  willi  aiiytliin;r,  I  lloated  at  my  ease,  and  in  a  short  time 
I  arrived  at  a  very  simill  nation,  who  were  suv|U^i-ed  to  see  me  arrive 
alone.  Tills  tribe  wear  lonn'  hair  and  look  upon  those  who  wear  short 
slaves,  whose  hair  lias  l.ieen  i;ut  in  order  that    they   m.ay  be    recog- 


nizi 


d.     The  chief  of  this  tribe,  who  was  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  said 


'  l*.  S.  G.  and  G.  Survey,  Conlvibiitions  to  Xorlli  .American  Ethnology, 

vol.  I.,  1113.     Tribes   of  Western  Washiiiitton  and  Northeastern  Oregon, 

by  George  Glbbs,  M.D.     The  roots  used  [for  food]  arc  numerous 

the  wappatu,  or  sa<juitt'iria.  and  the  kamas  are  the  principal. 

2 


but 


10 


brusquely  to  me  :  '  Who  are  yon?  Wliero  do  yon  come  fromV  Wl\nt  do 
you  want  lieriMvitli  yoiiv  >liort  liair?'  I  saiti  to  him.  'I  am  Monraclit- 
Ape;  I  come  from  the  nation  ot  tlie  Otters.  I  am  in  searcli  of  informa- 
tion, and  1  eome  to  yon  for  yon  to  jrive  it:  my  luiir  is  --liort  so  tliat  it 
may  not  botlier  me,  l)nt  my  cotirane  is  yood.  1  do  nut  eonie  to  asl<  food 
from  you.  I  Inive  enotiyh  to  hist  me  for  some  time,  and  wlieii  I  shall 
have  no  more,  my  bow  and  my  arrows  will  rnrni~li  nie  more  tliaii  I  need. 
Durinii  winter,  lilie  tlie  l)ear,  I  seel\  a  eovert,  and  in  summer  I  imitate 
tlie  oairle,  wlio  move-  about  to  .satisfy  ids  eiiriosity.  Is  it  possi'de  tliat 
a  single  man,  wlm  travel>  by  dayli-ilit,  makes  you  afraidr' 

"'He  replied  that  altliouj;h  I  mijilil  eome  from  the  nation  of  the 
Otters,  lie  easily  saw  that  I  was  not  of  them:  but  that  I  could  remain 
since  I  was  so  courasreous,  a(hlin.sr  th.at  he  e<nild  not  understand  how  I 
spoke  his  lani^iuijje,  which  none  of  the  people  east  of  tliere  understood. 
I  told  hiin  that  I  had  learned  it  of  an  old  man  called  Salt  Tear,  and  at 
the  same  time  1  re-embar!-:ed  iu  order  to  go,  l)ecause  I  disliked  his 
conversation,  l)ut  at  the  name  of  Salt  Tear,  who  was  oni'  of  his  friends, 
he  retained  me,  assuring:  tne  thai  I  shouhl  confer  a  pleasure  on  him  by 
remaininu:  in  his  villajre  as  lonjr  as  I  was  willing'.  I  came  ashore  rather 
to  learn  what  I  could  than  to  rest  myself,  for  I  was  not  satislled  with 
his  talk.  '  What,'  said  I  to  myself,  '  when  two  bears  meet  they  stop, 
rub  nose  aarainst  nose,  mutter  some  sounds  that  they  understand  without 
doubt,  and  seem  to  caress  each  other,  and  here  men  speak  rudely  to  cacli 
other.'  Being  then  disembarked  I  told  him  that  Salt  Teai'  liad  charged 
me  to  see  on  his  part  an  old  man  called  ••  Big  UoeljucU."  It  was  the 
father  of  him  with  whom  I  was  talking.  He  had  him  called.  The  old 
man  came,  being  led  l)y  the  hand,  for  he  could  not  see  very  well,  and 
learidug  from  wl'.at  parts  I  ha<l  come,  he  received  mi.'  as  ix  I  were  his 
son,  took  me  into  his  cabin  and  had  all  that  was  in  my  pirogue  brocght 
there.  The  next  day  he  taught  me  those  things  that  I  wished  to  know, 
and  assured  me  that  all  the  nations  on  the  sliores  of  the  Great  Water 
would  receive  me  well  on  telling  them  that  I  was  the  friend  of  big 
Hoebuck.  I  remained  there  only  two  days,  during  which  he  catised  to 
be  made  some  gruel  from  certain  snudl  grains,  smaller  than  French  peas , 
which  are  very  good,  which  pleased  me  all  tlie  more  that  it  was  so  long 
that  I  had  eatei;  only  meat.  Having  re-embarked  in  my  pirogue,  I 
descended  the  Beautiful  liiver  without  stopping  more  than  one  day  with 
each  nation  that  I  met  on  my  way. 

"'The  last  of  these  nations  is  at  a  day's  journey  from  the  Great 
Water,  and  withdrawn  from  the  river  the  journey  "of  a  man  [abi)Ut 
a  league].  They  remain  in  the  woods  to  conceal  themselves,  they  say, 
from  the  bearded  men.  I  was  received  in  this  nation  as  if  I  had  arrived 
in  my  family,  and  I  had  there  good  cheer  of  all  sorts,  for  they  have  in 
this  country  an  abundance  of  that  grain  of  winch  Biir  Hoebuck  had 
made  me  a  gruel,  and  although  it  springs  up  without  l)eiug  sowed,  it  is 
better  than  any  grain  that  I  have  ever  eaten.  Some  large  blue  l)irds 
come  to  eat  this  grain,  but  they  kill  them  because  they  are  very  good. 
The  water  also  furnishes  this  people  with  meat.  There  is  an'  animal 
which  comes  ashore  to  cut  grass,  which  has  a  head  shaped  like  a  young 
butt'alo,  but  not  of  the  same  color.  They  eat  also  many  llsh  from  the 
Great  Water,  which  are  larger  than  our  large  brills  and  much  better,  as 
well  as  a  great  variety  of  shell-tlsh,  amongst  which  some  are  very 
beautifid.  But  if  they  live  well  in  this  country  it  is  necessary  always 
to  bo  on  the  watch  agains^  th>j  bearded  men.  who  do  all  that  they  can  to 
carry  away  the  youna  persons,  for  they  never  have  taken  any  men, 
although  they  could  have  done  so.  They  told  me  that  these  men  were 
white,  that  tliey  had  long,  lilack  beards 'which  fell  upon  their  breasts, 
that  they  appeared  to  bo  short  and  thick,  with  largo  heads,  which  they 


11 


t 


\'f  Wliat  do 
.Moiicai-'Iit- 
of  iiil'oniia- 
o  that  it 
tn  a»k  rood 
uhcii  I  shall 
tliaii  I  iii'L'cl. 
ii-'i'  I  imitate 
o-.siblo  that 

lion  of   tlie 

oiild  remain 

■taud  liow  I 

imdi'i'stood. 

rear,  and  at 

dislilicd  Ills 

liis  Iriciuls, 

■e  on  liim  by 

■•lioie  rather 

itistled  with 

It  thi/y  stop, 

and  witliout 

dc'ly  to  each 

:iad  charucd 

It  was  the 

■d.     Tlif  okl 

ry  woll,  and 

I  wcri'  his 

no  brorifhl 

I  to  know. 

Great  Wiiter 

icnd  of   hig 

10  caii-ed  to 

Freneli  peas, 

was  so  Idii!? 

■  piroirne,    I 

jne  (lay  with 

n  the  Great 
man  [about 
's.  tliey  say, 

liad  arrived 

lioy  liavc  in 
loobnek  lind 

soweil,  it  is 
L-  blue  liirds 

very  ;rood. 
s  an  animal 
like  a  young 
■li  from  tlie 
h  better,  as 
le  are  very 
sary  always 

they  can  to 
n  any  men, 
e  men  were 
eir  Iji'oasts, 

which  they 


covered  with  clotli ;  that  tiiey  always  wore  their  clothes,  oven  in  the 
hottest  weatlier:  tliat  tlieir  coats  fell  to  the  middle  of  the  lc:is.  which 
as  well  as  the  feet  were  covei'ed  witli  red  or  yellow  cloth.  Toi'  the  rest 
they  did  not  know  of  wliat  tlieir  clothim;  was  made,  because  they  had 
never  lieeii  alile  to  kill  one.  iheir  arm>  makinii'  a  irreiit  noise  and  a  LTeat 
llanie:  tha""  they  nevertheless  retire  when  they  see  more  red  men  than 
tlieir  own  numbers;  that  then  they  j.'o  aboard  their  plro;:ue  [witliout 
doubt  a  bar(|Uo]  where  there  were  sometimes  liiirty  and  even  more. 
They  added  lliat  those  strani;cr.s  came  from  where  the  sun  sets  to  seek 
upon  this  coa-l  a  yellow  and  tiad-smelliny-  wooil  which  dyo>  a  beautif  il 
yellow.  That  a«  they  hail  o)i^er\cMl  that  the  bearded  men  came  to  carry 
oil'  this  wood  each  year  when  Ilie  cold  weathi'r  liad  ceased,  they  had 
destroyed  all  these  trees,  followinL;  the  advice  of  an  old  man,  so  that  they 
came  no  more,  because  they  fonml  no  more  of  this  wood.  In  truth,  tlie 
banks  of  the  river,  which  were  formerly  covered,  were  then  naked,  and 
there  remained  of  this  wood  in  this  country  but  a  small  iiuantity,  only 
sullicieiit  for  the  dyeiny'  of  the  people  themselves.  Two  nations,  ueiith- 
bor.s  of  each  othci'  and  not  far  distan'  from  the  one  where  I  was.  could 
not  imitate  them  in  tliis  stoii.  because  they  had  no  other  than  this  yellow 
Avood,  and  the  bearded  men,  having:  discovered  this,  went  there  every 
year,  which  inconvenienced  these  natic:us  very  nuicli.  as  they  did  not  dare 
•ro  on  the  coast  for  fear  of  losiutr  their  youni;-  people.  In  order  to  drive 
them  oiV  thoi'ou;.dily,  they  had  invited  all  the  neiirhborin^r  tribes  to 
rendezvous  with  them  in  arms  towards  the  ciw  .uencoment  of  the 
followiuir  summer,  at  a  irivon  moon,  and  this  time  wa^  near  at  hand.  As 
I  told  them  that  I  had  seen  ilre-arms  and  wa~  not  afraid  of  them,  these 
people  invited  nie  to  tut  with  them,  sayiiii;  that  these  two  nations  were 
on  the  route  that  I  must  take  to  co  to  the  country  from  uliich  we  came, 
and  for  the  rest  there  wmild  be  so  many  red  uu'ii  that  they  would  easily 
destroy  the  bearded  men.  which  would  liimler  others  from  coiniiij!;.  I 
replied  that  my  heart  found  that  it  was  yood  that  I  should  l'o  with 
them,  and  in  actimr  thus  I  had  a  desire  that  I  wished  to  satisfy.  I  was 
anxious  to  see  these  beardeil  men,  who  did  not  resemble  French,  Eniflish 
nor  Spaniards,  sucli  as  1  had  seen,  all  of  whom  trim  their  beards  and  are 
dilferently  clothed.  .My  cheerful  assent  created  much  pleasure  anion^ 
these  tribes,  who  tliouiiht  witli  roa-oii  that  a  man  who  had  seen  whites 
and  many  nathes.  oiiuht  to  have  more  intelliyroncc  than  those  who  had 
never  lofi  their  hoino^  .'lud  had  only  seen  red  men.' 

"I  ti?id  Moucaclit-.Vpe  to  take  a  rest  until  the  next  day.  I  gave 
him  a  glass  of  brandy  and  set  to  work  as  usual  transcribing  what 
he  had  told  mo.  During  the  second  niiiht  that  >Ioncacht-Ape  staid 
with  me  I  recalled  what  the  native  had  told  me  <d'  the  Great  Water  into 
which  the  Beautiful  Hiver  discharges;  I  thought  this  sea  of  which  lie 
spoke  might  lie  the  "  Sea  of  the  West.''  for  which  they  have  sought  so 
long.  Therefore  I  proposed  to  submit  certain  i|Uestioiis  to  him  before 
he  began  his  recital  of  his  journey  to  tlie  West.  The  next  day.  as  he 
prepared  to  continue,  I  asked  him  what  roifo  he  had  followed  with 
respect  to  the  sun.  When  one  triivels  in  Enroiie  one  does  not  notice 
whether  one  goes  Xortli.  South.  East  or  West,  liecause  one  follows  roads 
"■'''"h  lead  where  yon  are  iXQUVS,  without  disturbing  oneself  with  the 
•  earing  of  the  stars;  but  in  the  rouions  which  are  only  sjiursely 
inhabited  it  is  necessary  that  the  sun  sliould  serve  as  a  i.'uido,  there 
being  no  other  way;  and  the  natives,  throuirh  habit  anil  necessity, 
observe  closely  the  bearing'  of  the  sun  in  their  travels.  Thus  I  was 
assured  of  a  reply  on  Monoaclit-.ApL''s  part. 

"He  answeroil.  then,  that  in  asceniliuL'  the  Missouri  as  far  as  the 
nation  of  that  name  he  had  travelled  according  to  his  idea  between 
North  and  West:  that  from  this  nation  to  the  Gauzes  he  had  travelled 


12 


to  til.'  NoiMli,  ainl  lliiit  iU'tii'  Icaviiii:  the  Cnnzes,  in  foUowiiiir  th« 
Missdiii'i,  lie  liad  iihvays  travi/llcil  Ki-twecu  North  and  Wo-t,  and  tljatthe 
J*Ii>i-oiiri  went  thu>.  That  when  lii'  i|'iitf''l  t'l'^'  .Mi»i>ouri  to  i;o  to  the 
Bfantifiil  liiviT  he  liad  travi'lU'd  .lircct  to  the  Xorlli:  that  in  deseelidinjj; 
the  lieaiitiful  liivir  lie  had  always  tiMvelliii  between  North  and  We.st, 
even  to  the  (ireat  Water;  that  the  iiiir  Hoeliiiek  liad  told  him  that  the 
MiNSonri  and  tlie  l!eaiitil'iil  IJivir  had  their  eoiir>e>  always  ei|Uiilly 
(iistnn;  the  one  from  the  other.  A Irr  having:  answered  my  questions, 
he  eonliniieil  the  narrative  of  hi-  lra\els  in  the-e  terii.v  : 

■••  When  the  time  wa--  eoiiie.  I  left  with  the  warrior>.  and  we  travel- 
led live  ;;reat  day-'  journey-.  lieiiiir  arrived  we  waited  a  lom:  time  for 
the  liearded  iiieii.  who  eaiue  tin-  year  a  little  later  than  ti-iial.  Wliile 
waitinir  I  wii-  -how  n  tlie  jihite  where  they  put  their  lar^e  pirojjne.  It 
was  between  two  elitls  wliieh  are  sullieiently  hli:h  and  lonjr,  and  are 
conneeted  with  the  main  land.  I'etweeii  them  Hows  a  little  river  bor- 
dered with  the  treis  whieh  furnish  the  yellow  wood,  but  this  river  being 
too  -hallow  to  permit  the  entry  of  their  hirj.'e  |dromies,  they  had  a  smaller 
one  with  w  liieli  they  wi'iit  ii]i.  'I  hey  told  me  that  the  bearded  men  would 
not  mi-tru-t  aiiythiiii;.  beeau~e  the  people  all  withdrew  two  days' journey 
fr<Mii  the  -pDt  as  -oon  as  tliey  pereeivetl  them  eomiiii;  on  the  (ireat  Water, 
and  did  not  aiii'ear  airain  until  they  had  left.  That  nevertheless  they 
Were  always  watched  without  the  wateher-  beini:  seen.  After  having 
instructed  me  in  a'.!  tlie-e  thiiiir-,  they  held  a  eouueil  and  were  of  opinion 
that  tliey  oiifjht  to  eiuiceal  llifciii-eives  behind  these  two  clifl's,  and 
when  the  bearded  men  sIkiuUI  arrive,  everybody  should  cry  out  and 
draw  upon  them  to  jirevent  them  from  landiu;;.  1  had  not  spoken  at 
lirst,  but  tiiially  -eeiiii:  how  thinirs  were  L'oin;:.  I  told  tiieiii  that  althongu 
1  had  not  made  warairainst  tlie  whites,  I  knew  that  they  were  brave  and 
skillful,  that  althouiiU  I  did  not  know  if  these  white  men  resembled  the 
others.  1  nevertlii-le-s  thoii;ilit  that  they  'the  Indians)  would  not  do 
nnich  harm  in  tiie  way  they  projiosed  to  act:  that  Ijy  their  plan,  if  they 
shouhl  secure  three  or  four  scalps,  they  would  have  accomplished  a 
great  deal;  which  would  not  be  much  honor  for  so  many  warriors,  and 
they  would  lie  badly  received  on  their  return  to  their  (leople,  for  it  would 
be  believed  that  they  were  afr;ud.  I  cnunselled  them  to  place  two  men 
upon  the  two  elill'-  to  watch  t!ie  bearded  men  witlmut  their  knowledge, 
and  to  warn  us  of  their  arrival :  that  time  should  then  be  given  for  them 
to  come  ashore  to  cut  woml  and  that  when  they  were  thus  occupied  a  party 
of  warriors  should  mniiiit  upon  the  eiilfs,  another  should  conceal  itself  in 
last  year's  underbru-h.  and  the  rest  openly  attack.  It  cannot  be  doubted, 
I  ailded.  that  there  uill  not  be  many  bearded  men  who  will  save  them- 
selves, but  wlu'ii  they  wl  -li  to  rcL'ain  their  -mall  pirogue,  those  C(Uicealed 
in  the  underbni-h  will  kill  many,  and  when  they  apiu'oach  the  large 
pirogue,  those  on  tlic  elitls  will  do  the  same.  All  the  warriors  were 
of  my  opiniiui,   and  were   very  glad   that  I   had  been  willing  -ime 

with  them. 

•  '  We  waited  for  the  bearded  men  (hiring  seventeen  uays,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  they  were  seen  to  apiu'oach  in  two  large  pirogues.  They 
placed  themselves  between  the  two  dill's,  where  they  busied  themselves 
in  filling  with  fresh  water,  vessels  of  wood  similar  to  those  in  which  the 
French  [tlace  the  (ire  water.  It  was  not  until  the  fourth  day  that  they 
went  ashore  to  cut  wood.  The  attack  was  carried  out  as  I  had  advised, 
nevrtheless  they  only  killed  eleven.  I  do  not  know  why  it  is  that  red 
men  w  ho  shoot  si>  -urely  at  i.'ame,  aim  so  badly  at  their  enemies.  The 
rest  of  them  ^'allied  their  jiirogues  and  lied  upon  the  Great  Water,  where 
we  fidlowed  tliem  lontr  with  our  eyes  and  linally  lost  sight  of  tliem. 
They  were  as  much  afraid  of  our  numliers  as  we  were  of  their  lire-arms. 
We  th.-n  Went  to  examine  the  dead  which  remained  with  us.     They  were 


13 


)llowiiiir  ih« 
iiul  flat  the 
II  yi>  to  the 

li  iiiiil  Went, 
liini  thiit  the 
iii.vs  uiiually 
ly  (iiiestions, 

il  we  travel- 
iii;  time  for 
-Hill.  While 
pii'ii;j;ile.  It 
oiijf,  and  are 
le  river  bor- 
s  river  being 
lad  a  Kinaller 
(1  men  would 
lays' jonrney 
ireat  Water, 
tlieless  tliey 
Ifter  Imving 
■c  of  opinion 
)  clitl's,  and 
cry  ont  and 
ot  spolveu  at 
liat  althougii 
re  brave  and 

umliled  the 

onld  not  do 

plan,  if  they 

oniplislied  a 

rarriors,  and 

for  it  would 

ace  two  men 

linowledge, 

ien  for  them 

iipiedaparty 

ceal itself  in 

be  doubted, 

save  tlicm- 
se  concealed 
I'll  the  large 
arrlors  were 
iiig  nne 

s,  at  the  end 
guos.  They 
I  themselves 
in  which  the 
!iy  that  they 
liad  advised, 
:  is  that  red 
emies.  The 
'ater.  where 
It  of  tliem. 
ir  lire-arms. 
They  were 


■ 


mncli  smniler  tlian  we  were,  auil  very  whilr.  Thiy  bad  liirao  heads  and 
bodies  s'lltlcieiitly  lariic  for  tlwii-  liciL'lit.  'I'hiii-  hair  was  unly  lunir  in 
the  mi  Idle  of  the  head.  Tliey  diil  iii;i  wear  liat«  li'Kc  you,  bill  their 
heads  were  twisted  aroninl  with  cl'ith:  tliclr  ilntiie>  were  neither 
wo'iUen  nor  bark  [he  wouUl  say  »ilk]  but  siniu-lhiiiL:  similar  to  yonr  old 
shirts  [without  doubt  cotton]  very  soft  and  of  dilferent  colors.  That 
which  covered  their  limbs  anil  their  feet  was  of  a  single  piece.  I 
wisliei!  to  try  on  one  of  these  covcriiifis.  but  my  feet  would  not  enter 
it.  [The  leL';riiiirs  were  bnttiiies  which  have  the  ^enin  l)ehind.  Natives 
can  not  wear  siioes  and  s|ii<-kin^-.  because  their  tuc^  are  spread  so  far 
apart.]  All  the  tribes  assembled  in  this  place  divided  up  tlieir  garments, 
their  beads  and  their  scalps,  of  the  eleven  killed,  two  only  had  Hre 
arms  with  powder  and  balls.  Althoiiirh  I  did  nut  know  a-  niiich  about 
flre-arms  as  I  d>i  now.  still,  as  I  had  seen  Nuine  in  Canada,  I  wished  to 
try  them,  and  found  that  they  did  not  kill  a>  far  as  yours.  Tliey  were 
much  heavier,  'file  powder  wa-  mixed,  coarse,  medium  ami  line,  but 
the  coarse  was  in  y:reati-r  i|iiantity. 

"  '  See  what  I  have  obseived  cnncei'iiin;.' tlie  lii^arded  men.  and  in  what 
■way  the  natives  relieved  themselves  of  tliem.  After  thi^  I  thouudit  only 
of  coutinuinit  my  joiu'in  y.  'I'o  iieconipli-h  this.  ie;'.viiiu  tlie  red  men  to 
return  to  their  home~,  I  joined  tlio-^e  who  lived  further  to  the  West  on 
the  coast,  alid  we  travelled  always  fol!ov\inu'  at  a  short  distance  the 
coast  line  of  the  Great  Water,  which  L:oes  directly  between  North  and 
AVest.  When  I  reached  the  lionu-  of  this  people  I  rested  several  days, 
during  which  I  studied  the  way  that  remained  for  me  to  travel.  I  ob- 
served that  the  days  were  much  lonirer  than  with  ii~.  and  the  nights 
very  short.  I  wanted  to  know  from  them  the  reason.  Init  they  could 
not  tell  me.  The  old  men  ad\  i«ed  me  that  it  would  be  useless  to  under- 
take to  go  further.  They  -aid  the  I'oast  still  exteinleil  for  a  great 
distance  to  the  North  anil'Wesi  ;  that  llnally  it  turned  sinu't  to  the  West, 
and  Unal'y  it  was  cut  tlirouLdi  by  the  ("ireat  Water  directly  fiom  North 
to  Sonth.  One  of  tliiMii  adiled  that  when  vouni;'  he  had  known  a  very 
old  man  who  had  seen  this  land  [before  the  ocean  Ini'l  eaten  its  way 
through]  which  went  a  lonir  ilislance.  and  that  when  the  (ireat  Waters 
were  lowered  [at  low  tide]  thiTe  are  rock-  wliieli  ^iiow  where  this  laud 
was.  Everyone  turned  me  asiih'  from  undi'rtiiking  this  journey,  because 
they  assured  me  that  tlie  country  was  sterile  and  cold  and  ciuiseipiently 
vvithont  inhabitants,  and  they  counselled  mo  to  return  to  my  own 
country.' 

"  Moncacht-Ape  returiiod  home  by  the  same  route  that  he  had  taken 
In  going,  -which  he  recounted  to  me  in  few  words.  After  which  I  asked 
him  if  he  could  say  how  many  days'  journeys  then;  were  of  actual 
travel;  he  told  me  that  the  lleautiful  liiver  lieing  very  swift  and  rapid 
he  had  uescended  very  fast,  and  that  in  reducinn-  this  march  to  ilays' 
journeys  by  land,  he  coinited  to  have  journeyed  in  all  tliirly-«ix  moons, 
that  is  to  say  during  thi'ei'  years.  It  is  true,  a-  he  ailiuittcd.  tliat 
travelling  throu;;li  countries  wliieli  to  him  were  absolutely  unknown,  he 
had  followed  the  sinuosities  of  the  Missouri,  ami  if  he  had  to  return  to 
the  same  jilaces  he  could  shorten  his  path  ami  would  iK>t  travel  more 
than  thirty-two  or  thirty-three  moons.  It  is  true  as  he  said  that  he 
travelled  faster  than  red  men  ordinarily  do,  who  generally  make  but  sis 
leairues  n  day  when  loaded  with  at  least  two  hiindreil  i)ouuds  burthen, 
but  as  Moncncht-Aiie  carried  only  one  hundred  pounds,  or  siuuetimes  not 
more  than  sixty,  lie  ouuht  to  have  made  often  even  idni'  or  ten  leagues.  I 
know  myself  from  experience  in  returniui!  from  my  expedition  to  the 
interior,  that  not  losing  time  in  makini:  investii.'atiiuis.  my  iieople, 
although  loaded,  made  nearly  ten  leagues  a  day.  Thus,  in  estitnating 
his  day's  journeys  at  seven  leagues'  travel,  he  oiiirht  to  have  made,  with 


jyjfct.-- 


cs:?; 


14 

some  cortninty,  at  loa>t  oiglitoeii  liuiulrcd  Icafrups.  Tims  I  reason :  He 
traVflli.Ml  aliont  tliii'ty-«ix  moons,  a-^  many  iroing  as  eominj;.  It  is 
noet'S-ary  to  ilfduct  lialf  this  tinit'  for  liis  return.  At  seven  leagues  a 
(lay  thiri?  will  remain  three  tlioiisaml.  seven  lunulred  and  forty-eiglit 
leau'iies.  I  deduct  ajiaiu  liall'  for  tlie  lU'tours  that  he  was  oblij^ed  to 
nuike.  which  were  in  itreat  nuiiihci',  and  I  lln<l  still  eiirhtcen  hundred  and 
ninety  leairiies  that  there  was  from  the  Vazoo  to  the  coast,  which  was 
at  the  mouth  of  the  lieautifiil  Kiver.  He  was  live  years  making  this 
journey  to  the  West," 

M.  de  Quatrefnges  was  mistaken  in  supposini;  that  he  was  the  flrst  to 
call  attention  to  the  ethnological  value  of  this  tale,  for  we  find  that  the 
first  volume  of  the  transactions  of  tlie  Literary  and  Historical  Society 
of  Queiiec'  contains  a  paper  liy  Andrew  Stuart,  Ksq,,  which  is  entitled 
"Journey  Across  the  Continent  of  Xorth  America,  by  an  Indian  Cliief," 
etc,  etc.  Mr.  Stuart  evidently  places  contidenee  in  the  story,  for  after 
giving  a  translation  of  it  and  reciting  nntny  things  whicli  subsequent 
explorations  have  proved  to  be  true,  he  says:  "None  of  these  could 
have  been  known  to  the  Indian  cldcf ,  .anil  the  general  tone  and  character 
of  M.  du  Pratz's  work  excludes  the  idea  of  his  having  fabricated  the 
story."' 

Greenho  w,  in  his  History  of  Oregon,-'  quotes  a  version  of  the  story  with 
the  following  endorsement :  '•there  is  indeed,  nothing  about  it  which. 
shouUl  induce  us  to  reject  it  as  false,  except  the  part  respecting  the  ships 
and  white  men."  In  the  Hevue  d'Anthro]iologie,  tome  4nie,  1881,  M.  A. 
de  Quatrefages,^  in  tlie  article  to  whieli  we  have  already  alluded, 
reprints  LePnire's  story  in  full,  explains  and  elucidates  tlie  obscure  por- 
tions with  voluminous  notes,  cites  a  vast  amount  of  testimony  to  show 
that  the  white  men  must  have  come  from  Lieou  Tchou  or  some  of  the 
Eastern  isles  of  Japan,  and  arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  the  journey  of 
Moncacht-Ap6  was  really  accomplished,  and  tliat,  prior  to  the  time  when 
the  Europeans  knew  anytliing  about  tliat  part  of  tlie  shores  of  North 
.■Vmerica,  the  mouth  of  the  ('olniiibia  Itiver  and  the  adjoining  shores 
were  known  and  frequented  Ijy  this  peoide. 

Let  us  examine  the  story  to  see  w  hat  are  its  elements  of  strength  and 


'Transactions  of  tlie  Literarv  and  Historical  Society  of  Quebec,  Que- 
bec, 1829,  Art,  XL,  vol.  I.,  p.  i98  et  seq. 

'As  early  as  17(15  Die  discussion  of  tills  subject  began,  in  a  4to. 
entitled  '•  Memoires  et  (.)bservations  (ie<)^raphi(|Ues,"  fte.  Par  Mr. 
•  •  *  (SniiK'.el  Eugel).  Lausanne,  ITO.'i.  This  was  accomiianied 
by  a  chart  illustrating  the  tlieory  of  the  author  and  sliowing  Moncacht- 
Ajie's  journey. 

■'Greenhow's  Oregon,  Boston,  \SH,  p.  145. 

*  The  reputation  of  M.  de  Quatrefages  probably  requires  no  endorse- 
ment in  this  country,  but  if  any  doubts  exist  as  to  the  value  of  his 
opinions,  such  languay;e  as  tliis,  '•  M.  de  Quatrefages  is  acknowledged 
to  be  the  most  disthiguished  Anthropologist  In  France,"  used  by  Major 
Powell,  in  Science,  vol.  I.,  No.  10,  p.  290,  [633],  will  dispel  tliem.  See 
also  [034]  where  Major  Powell  brlelly  alludes  to  the  Moncaclit-Ap6 
storv. 


15 


what  its  eleuit'iits  of  weakiic'>s.  We  can  at  tlio  ^-aiiie  time,  pt'i'linps, 
deternilue  wliptlier  lliuro  wvro  any  motives  suilicient  to  iiuliice  a  writer 
of  tliat  pcrioii  to  fabiicate  or  iMiibclii-iii  a  proiliiftioii  of  tliis 
kind.  We  must  bear  In  inincl  lliat  t-i'I'ai:i.'  ilii  I'rat/  was  inanifestlv  a 
tliL'orif.t  and  an  ontlinsiast.  To  liini  the  romantic  iKition  tliat  tliis  vener- 
al)lc  red  >lvin  was  luuitin;;  npa  ijcucaloi;i<al  rci'ord,  wonld  t)e  conspicu- 
ously apparent  as  tlic  all-iniiKjrtant  factor  of  tlie  journey,  wliere  tlie 
mention  of  sncli  a  motive  niiylit  liave  licen  entirely  overlooked  by  one 
not  alliicted  with  the  ethnoloirical  craze.  But  wliatever  the  motive,  was 
the  journey  a  possil)ility?  Could  tids  solitary  traveller  have  penetrated 
a  reijion  the  secrets  of  which  wore  only  yielded  to  the  bold  assaults  of 
Lewis  and  Clark  in  l.'^m?  Cal>eca  de  Vaca'  with  Ids  three  companions, 
tossed  about  from  tribe  to  trilie,  half-starved  and  terribly  maltreated, 
was  nine  years  in  workinir  his  way  across  the  arid  deserts  of  New  Mex- 
ico and  Arizona,  !)ut  lie  survived  his  terrible  experiences  and  llnally 
reached  a  place  of  safety  under  th(.'  .Spanish  Hair  on  the  Pacillc  slope. 
Col.  Dod^e,  in  "Our  Wild  Inilians,"- tells  of  a  native  who  travelled 
"  on  foot,  jrenerally  alone,  from  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  and  who  afterwards  in  repeated  journeys 
crossed  and  re-crossed.  North,  South,  East  and  West,  tlie  vast  expanse 
of  wilderness,  until  he  seemed  to  know  every  stream  ami  moinitain  of 
the  whole  great  continent  west  of  the  Mississippi  river."  Capt.  Marcy, 
in  the  "Prairie  Traveller,"'  tells  of  anothi'r  "  who  had  set  his  traps 
.ind  spread  his  Ijlanket  ujion  the  head-waters  of  the  Missou  .;nd  Co- 
lumbia, and  his  wandcriiiL's  liad  led  him  .Soutli  to  the  Colorailo  and 
the  Gila,  and  thence  to  the  slii)res  of  tlie  I'acilic'  Tlie  physical 
possibility  of  the  trip  may  tliereforo  be  accepted. 

The  .i;eoi?raphy  of  the  lower  Missouri,  the  character  of  the  river,  the 
tribes  of  Indians,  tlie  anim.ils  and  the  plants  to  be  found  there  were 
known  to  LePage  du  Pratz.  We  llnd  in  his  liistory  an  account  of  an 
expedition  by  IJoiii'sinoiit  throuiili  this  country.  Little  or  nothiuj;  could 
have  beer,  known,  however,  by  him,  coiicerninLT  tl.e  habits  or  the  modes 
of  life  of  the  Indians  livlni;-  near  the  s.)urce  of  the  Missouri,'  and  the 


'Relation  of  Alvar  Nunez  Cabei^'a  deVaca,  Translated  by  Buckingham 
Smith,  N.  Y.,  IsTl. 

^"Our  Wild  Indians,"  Col.  Richard  C.  Dodge,  Hartford,  1882,  p.  5.54. 
I  wish  here  to  acknowledge  tlie  assistance  rendered  me  by  Mr.  Luclen 
Carr,  of  the  Pealiody  Museum,  who  kindly  pointed  out  to  ine  these 
instances  of  travel  and  endurance,  and  has  otlierwise  materially  helped 
me  in  this  investigation. 

^The  Prairie  Traveller,  Capt.  R.  B.  Marcy,  N.  Y.,  Iso'J,  p.  188. 

'  Hennepin,  while  a  captive  ainoiig  the  Sioux,  "  saw  Indians  wlio  cime 
from  about  live  hundred  leagues  to  the  West;  they  informed  us  tliat 
the  Asseiiipovalacs  were  then  only  seven  or  eii:ht  days  distant  to  the 
Nortlieast  of  us;  all  the  other  known  tribes  on  the  West  and  Northwest 
inhabit  immense  plains  and  praiiii's  ab,)Uiiding  in  luilfalo  and  peltries, 
where  they  are  sometimes  obli:red  to  make  ilres  with  buH'alo  dung  for 
want  of  wood."       Hennepin's  Loui-ianii,  Sliea,  New  York,  ls80,  p.  230. 


16 

existence  even  of  llic  Cohimbia  river  liail  not  Ixm'Ii  cstuljlisheil.  What- 
ever  coincidences  are  f(j\inil  Ixlween  the  >tor.v  and  the  facts  wliich 
relate  to  tlie  rei^ion  West  of  tlie  lieail-waters  of  tlie  ifisioiiri  are  there- 
fore valualile  us  indications  of  tlie  probable  truth  of  the  story.  The 
astonlsliMient  of  the  sava;;e  at  the  absence  of  Indian  corn,  his  yearning 
for  it  after  Ids  meat-diet,  and  tlie  inadei|iiacy  of  the  bread-sttitl's '  fur- 
nished liiin  as  a  siibsiitiite,  are  tlie  natural  experiences  of  a  traveller 
over  tills  wnsie.  Of  tlie  ^'rain  used  liy  Hi:.'  lioeliiick  in  Ids  tuoliisonie 
gruel  we  linve  no  knowledge.  It  is  not  Inclmhjd  in  any  Hsi  of  the  arti- 
cles of  food  of  these  Indians  in  such  a  way  as  will  enalile  us  to  Identify 
it.  There  are.  however,  several  varieties  of  wild  peas  in  i  ireiion,  which 
might  make  a  good  relish  as  a  dinner  vegetable,  and  It  is  not  impossible 
that  they  may  have  been  used  in  tliis  manner  in  a  limited  way.  We  have 
no  record  of  any  Indians  alonir  the  liauks  of  the  Columbia  or  Its  tribu- 
taries, wlio  cut  the  hair  of  their  slaves  as  a  mark  of  indignity,  but  in 
his  '•  Native Haces  of  the  I'acillc,"'  H.  II.  Bancroft  tells  us  that  "to  cut 
the  liair  sliort  is  to  the  Xootkn  a  disirrace,"  and  in  a  note  lie  f|Uotes  from 
Sproat's  "  Scenes  and  Studies  of  Savage  Life,"  Loiidon.  I.SDS,  i)p.  2o-2", 
as  follows :  "  Tlie  hair  of  tlie  natives  is  never  sliavcn  from  tlie  head.  It 
is  black  or  dark  brown,  without  gloss,  coarse  and  lank,  but  not  scanty, 
worn  long.  •  *  *  Slaves  wear  tlieir  hair  sliort."^  The 
abundant  opportunity  for  personal  observation  which  Sproat  had  dur- 
ing Ills  residence  on  tlio  Pacific  Coast,  makes  this  a  valuable  addition  to 
the  list  of  coincidences.  The  seal  does  not  come  on  shore  and  browse 
on  the  grass,  but  the  movements  of  the  animal  would  suggest  to  one 
ignorant  of  its  habits,  that  this  was  probably  what  it  was  doing ;  hence 
w.  nave  no  dilllculty  in  identifying  the  animal  that  furnished  the  "meat 
from  the  water  "  to  tlie  natives.  While  it  required  no  great  imagina- 
tion to  suggest  as  prob.iijle  the  alnindanee  of  fish  and  shell-llsh  which 
the  savage  mentions,  tlie  habitual  use  of  seal's  meat  as  food  could  not 
have  been  known  to  the  Indian.  Such  knowledge  was  not,  how- 
ever, absolutely  beyond  LePage's  power  of  acquisition  at  the  time 
of  tlie  publication  of  his  book. 

To  appreciate  the  ignorance,  at  this  time,  of  the  geographers  concern- 
ing the  region  about  tlie  Columbia  Kiver,  it  is  necessary  to  establish 
approximately  the  date  of  tiie  interview  between  LePage  dii  Pratz  and 
Moncacht-Ape.  Following  the  date  of  LePau'e's  movements,  this  must 
have  taken  place  about  1725.  JIoncacht-.Ape  was  tlieii  an  ohl  man,  and 
the  journey  was  a   story  drawn  from  liis  memory.      If  we  allow  that 


'For  account  of  food  used  by  Indians  in  Oregon,  see  Contributions  to 
North  American  Ethnology,  .\rt.  liy  George  Gibbs,  M.IJ.,  vol.  I.,  p.  193. 

'Bancroft's  Native  Rtices,  vol.  I.,  p.  17'.'.  and  note. 

'Lafitau,  in  vol.  2,  p.  51,  of  his  Manirs  des  Sauvages,  Paris,  1724,  4to, 
says  that  Mausolus,  king  of  Carla,  compelled  the  Lycians  to  cut  their 
hair,  which  was  tiieii  a  mark  of  siM-vitude,  also  that  the  hair  is  cut  as  a 
mark  of  servitude  among  tlie  Caribsand  the  Indians  of  the  South. 


r 


lied.      What- 
facts   which 

ii'i  lire  tliLTe- 

st<jry.      The 

hi-j  yi'.inilnt; 
iil-ritnrt'ji'  fiir- 
of  a  travellur 
lis  tcjolhsDiiie 
t  of  the  arti- 
us  to  identify 
>i'ei:on.  which 
ot  lin|>o^slbIe 
uy.  \Vc  have 
:  <>v  its  tiilju- 
iirnity,  Ijut  in 

tiiat  "to  cut 
i?  (j notes  fioin 
iiiS,  1)11.  L'5-L'7, 

the  liend.  It 
It  not  scanty, 
hort."'  The 
I'oat  had  dur- 
le  addition  to 
e  and  browse 
iKgest  to  one 
dolnj; ;  lience 
ed  tlie  "  meat 
rcat  Iniagina- 
ell-llsli  wliich 
)od  could  not 
IS   not,   how- 

at  the  time 

liers  concern- 
V  to  establish 
In  Pnitz  and 
ts.  tills  must 
old  man,  and 
te  allow  that 

itriliutions  to 
ol.  I.,  p.  193. 

•is,  1724,  4to, 
5  to  cut  their 
ir  is  cut  as  a 
.South. 


the  trip  took  place  aliont  1700.  we  shall  uot  jilace  it  too  early.  We  iiave 
no  account  of  the  landins:  of  any  white  man  on  tlie  I'acltic  coast  North 
of  43°  N.  prior  to  that  time.  The  only  explorer  said  to  have  jieiiitrated 
that  region  wliosc  elaiiiis  have  in  any  way  been  recoifnized  by  jiostiTity. 
Is  Fuca.  His  <liscovery,  in  1592,  of  the  straits  wliiili  bear  lil>  name,  in 
accepted  liy  many  as  proljabie.  If  to  this  we  should  add  tlie  alle:ied 
discovery  liy  Airiiilar  of  a  river  in  40°  X.,  as  Ijeinn  jios^ibly  tlie  mouth 
of  the  C'olnnibiii.  tlie  error  in  the  location  of  wliicli  wii>  cliio  to  the 
inadequate  instruments  and  the  inellicient  metiiods  of  the  times,  we 
shall  then  have  cxleiided  the  area  of  actual  knowledge  of  the  day  to 
Include  all  tliat  could  possibly  be  claimed.  Ail  else  was  pure  conjec- 
ture, and  more  speculation.  There  were,  however,  anion;;  tlie  Imllans, 
rumors  concernini;  a  ;,ieat  sea  to  the  West  and  a  great  river  llowiiig 
Into  it,  and  stories  about  tlicin  were  pa>sed  from  month  to  nmuth, 
treading  closely  upon  facts  and  suiri^esting  a  foundation  in  knowledge. 
Wo  cnunot  to-day  strip  the  embellishiiK'iits  from  tlie  fundamental  facts 
with  certainty,  liiil  we  can  come  nearer  to  it  than  ever  before.  Aiiiniig 
tliese  stories  one  lliids  place  in  the  '•  Kelation  of  mfifi,"  '  where  we  are 
told  that  the  "  Sioux  say  that  beyond  the  Kari/.i  the  earth  is  <  'it  otV  and 
there  is  notliiiiir  but  a  salt  lake." 

I'ather  Jlaripiette,  at  the  Mission  of  the  "  Outaou.acs  "  in  l(i69,  states 
in  his  Kelation- that  he  was  told  of  a  "river  at  some  distance  to  the 
West  of  ills  station,  wliich  Mowed  into  tiie  Sea  of  the  West,  at  the 
moutli  of  which  ids  informer  liad  seen  four  canoes  under  sail." 

Father  Dablon,  .Suiierior  of  tlie  same  Mission,  in  his  ijelalioii-'  for 
the  same  year,  gives  other  details  of  the  river  and  sea,  on  which  lie  was 
told  "  there  was  an  ebb  and  How  of  the  tide.'' 

Sngard-Thfodat*  gives  some  curious  details  of  a  tribe  "  to  whom 
each  year  a  certain  people  having  no  hair  on  head  or  chin,  were  wont  to 
come  liy  way  of  the  sea  in  large  ships.  Their  only  purpose  seemed  to 
be  that  of  tratllc.  They  had  tomahawks  shajied  like  tiie  tall  of  a 
partridge,  stockings  with  slioes  attaciied,  which  were  supple  a'-  a  ;.'lovc, 
and  many  otlim-  things  which  tliey  cxciianircd  for  peltries." 

Piirchas*  tells  of  a  "friend  in  Vir;:inia  to  wiiom  came  nimor>  even 
there,  from  Indians  to  the  Xortliwest.  of  tlie  arrival  on  tiieir  coa-t  of 
ships  •  which  he  concluded  to  liave  come  from  Jajian.'  " 

In  his  history  of  Carolana,  publislied  in  1721',  Coxe°  tells  n.*  of  a  yellow 
river  called  the  Massorlte.  tlie  most  uortlierly  branches  of  whicli  "are 


'  Relation  1000-67,  ch.  XII..  p.  114. 

'Relation  1009-70,  Part  III.,  ch.  XI.,  p.  CO. 

»Id.,ch.X.,  p.  12. 

•  Le  grand  voyage  du  pays  des  Hiiroiis,  F.  Sagard  Thi'odat.  p.  74, 
Paris,  1032.  New  ed.,  Paris,  180,5 :  and  also,  Histoire  du  Canada.  Snsjard 
ThCodat,  1630;  New  ed.,  Paris,  1800,  p.  227. 

'Purchas  his  Pilgrimes,  The  Third  part.  London,  102">,  p.  849. 

'Description  of  Carolana,  Daniel  C.)xe,  Loudon,   1722.  p.  l.o. 


T 


18 

Interwovoii  with  otlu'i'  braiiclii'S  wlili'h  liiivo  a  (.■ontrary  course,  pro- 
ceeiliiiit  to  the  AVoHt,  ftiul  cmiity  tlieiiiselvesi  into  tlie  South  Si-a.'  The 
Indians  allli'ui  they  see  ureal  sliips  sailiui.'  in  tliat  lake,  twenty  times 
bij:i!er  tliau  tiieir  canoes." 

An  eiliiion  of  tlie  "  liilations  de  la  Loulsiane  "'  [attrihuleil  to  Chev. 
Tiinti  anil  by  liini  relniiiiiUcil],  was  |uiblislieil  at  An  erdani  in  1720. 
There  is  an  Inti'oductoi'y  cliaiitor  in  tlii>  e<lition  from  the  pen  of  an 
olllccr,  eontaiiiiiiir  a  Ueseription  of  the  Missinn'i,  in  wliich  the  followini; 
stateiiuiit  occurs:  -'The  savaifes  witli  whom  the  banks  of  this  river 
are  tliickly  peopled,  assert  that  it  rises  in  a  moiuitain,  from  tlie  other  side 
of  which  a  torrent  forms  anotlier  great  river  wliieh  flows  to  the  West 
and  empties  into  a  jtreat  lake  which  can  only  be,  acceptiiii;  the  truth  of 
the  statement,  the  Sea  of  Jajian." 

We  have  in  tlie  fort'^oiiig,  evidence  of  the  character  of  information 
on  this  subject  open  tfi  Moncacht-Apfi  as  well  as  to  Leraire,  at  the  date 
of  the  Indian's  journey.  There  was  no  knowledite  whatever  of  the 
Pacitic  coast  oi  liic  chariicter  of  its  iiihal>itants,  but  there  were  rumors 
amongst  the  natives  of  the  liiver,  of  the  Ocean  and  even  of  visits  from 
foreigners,  whom  the  French  Fathers  iilentitied  with  the  Chinese  or 
Japanese. 

In  proceeding  to  examine  the  i|uestion  of  motive,  we  must  (Irst  call 
attention  to  a  curious  t"act  which  seems  to  have  l)een  overlooked  by 
those  wlio  iiave  referred  to  tills  story  in  print. ■"  Dnriuir  tlie  time 
that  Lel'aire  was  at  Xatchcz  a  Freucli  olllcer  named  Duniont  was  sta- 
tioned in  that  vicinity.  He  met  Lel'aire  and  interchanged  notes  and 
observations  witli  him.  In  17.5M  he  published  a  book  on  Louisiana 
wliicli  contained  a  digest  of  the  Moncacht-.\iie  story,  duly  credited  to 
LcPage  du  I'ralz  as  authority.  This  story,  liowever,  has  an  entirely 
different  ending  from  tlie  one  already  quoted,  and  Its  peculiarities 
justify  its  quotation.'    It  is  as  follows ; 

"I  will  tinish  what  I  have  to  sny  on  Louisiana  by  >ome  remarks  sent 
me  by  a  friend.'  wliom  I  liave  cited  many  times  in  these  memoires, 
concernini:  tlie  situation  of  the  Sea  of  the  West  and  the  means  of 
arriving  tiiere  l)y  the  river  Mi-souri.  I  shall  permit  him  to  speak  in  this 
chapter. 

•  '  An  Indian,'  said  he,  '  from  the  Yazoos,  called  Moncachtab6,  whom 
the  French  call  the  interpreter  because  lie  speaks  nearly  all  the  Indian 
language*  of  Xortli  Amerioa,  was  In'ouuht  to  me  as  I  requested.  He 
h.ad  been  described  to  me  as  a  man  remarkalde  for  his  hniif  journeys. 
In  fact  lie  had  made  one  of  three  years  into  Canada,  and  another  in  the 


'The  raciflc. 

^Relations   de  la  Louisiauo,   etc.,  par  Cliev.  Tonti,  Amsterdam,  1720. 

■'Kxcept  in  the  contemporaneous  publication  of  Mr.  Samnel  Engel, 
"  Memoires  et  observation*  Geograpliiipies."  etc.  •  Lausanne,  17(>5. 

'Memoires  snr  La  Louisiane,  composes  snr  les  .Memoires  de  M. 
Dninopt.  par  M.  L.  L.  M.,  vul.  II.,  p.  lmc,  et  seq.,  Paris,  1753. 

^LePage  du  Prat/.. 


S 


Mm 


msm 


<-"-'fS 


T 


m 


course,  pro- 
1  Si'ji.'  The 
wont}'  times 

It'll  to  Chev. 
lam  III  1720. 
pi'ii  of  ftn 
lie  I'ullowlni; 
if  this  river 
In;  oilier  sWe 
to  the  West 
the  truth  of 

iiforinatlon 
,  nt  the  date 
ever  of  the 
wore  rumors 
f  visits  from 

Chiueso  or 

ust  first  call 
erlooktd  by 
ii!i  the  time 
rint  ^vas  sta- 
ll notes  and 
n  Louisiana 
■  credited  to 
i  an  entirely 
peculiarities 


eniarks  sent 
B  memoires, 
le  means  of 
speak  in  this 

:itab6.  whom 
1  the  Indian 
I  nested.  He 
lit  journeys, 
other  in  the 


erdani,  1720. 
inuel  Enf^el, 
0,  170.5. 
)lrcs  de  M. 
3. 


' 


^ 


oppcxiie  iliroetlim.  mid  lo  the  \Ve^t-X(irtli\ve«l  of  .\iiieriia,  I  n  i-eivo<l 
lihii  favoriilily  al  iiiv  hmi^e.  where  he  lived  »niiie  time,  and  I  |i;i(|  the 
leisure  to  iiiuaire  liim  in  eoiivef^alioii  eonceniiin;  U\-  travel>.  In  one  of 
tlie-e  ei>iiver>atioiis  that  ue  had  toL'etlier.  >ee  u  hat  1  leaniecl  of  the 
joiiriH'V  that  he  made  to  the  We^t-Norlhwest.  He  axciided  the  ri\erSt. 
I.oiii-  [Mi'si»»l|ipi]  to  the  Illinois.  'I'heiiei',  liaviiii.' <ios»i'd  thi- river 
liy  swimiiiliiir  or  on  n  rait,  lie  heu:iiii  to  travel  on  the  .Vortli  hank  of  the 
.\il>-oUfi  river,  w  liieh  Sieur  de  lioiirmoiit.  whoa-eeiided  it  to  its  -oiiree, 
calls  eiiilil  Imiidied  lea^iie^  in  leiiifth  from  that  point  to  where  it  empties 
into  tlie  St.  l.oiiis  [Mi«si-isippi].  Kollow  iiu.',  tlieii,  the  North  liank  of 
thi^  river.  .MoiieaelitahC' arrived  at  a  nation  which  had  been  pointed  out 
to  him  as  the  nearest  to  tho<e  whom  he  hail  left,  and  he  made  a  -"'joiirn 
there,  as  well  to  perfect  himself  in  llieir  hin^'na^'c,  which  he  knew 
already,  as  to  learn  tliat  of  the  next  nation  in  the  direction  wliicli  he 
wished  to  take,  for  in  all  tlie^e  nations  there  is  always  some  one  who 
kiiow-^  how  to  >p(ak  the  laiii;uai:e  of  the  iiei::liliorintr  native-^.  He  did 
tlii>i  always  in  moviiiir  I'rom  one  nation  to  another,  which  delaineil  him  a 
loiii:  time  on  his  journey,  whicli  oeeii|iied  live  year-.  Finally,  haviii;; 
arrived  ipiite  at  tlie  source  of  the  JUssonri  r«'er.  piirsniiii:  crjii-tantly 
the  We-t-Xorthwest  direction,  he  vi-lted  many  iiiitioii-,  situated  iijion 
another  river  unite  ne.ir  to  this  hi-t,  but  which  liad  a  coinve  directly 
opposite,  for  he  supiioses  that  it  llows  from  Ka-t  to  West  into  a  sea 
who>e  name  as  well  as  that  of  the  river  the  savaiic  did  not  know. 
Moiicachtabe  nevertheless  fcdlowed  it  for  a  loiiir  time,  takiiii;  always  the 
same  route,  but  he  was  not  able  to  reach  its  month,  for  the  last  native 
tribe  where  he  was  forced  to  terminate  his  journey  was  at  war  with 
anotlier  iiviim'  lietwceii  them  and  the  sea.  He  wished  very  much  to  see 
it,  but  the  open  war  between  tlie-e  nations  prevented  lilm.  It  was 
inipo-<ible  for  hini  to  lenrn  anytliinir  tibout  it,  because  the  lew  slaves 
that  this  tribe  had  captured  from  their  eneniie>  were  too  youm;  to  ^ive 
him  any  information  on  the  subject.  Xcverthcless.  the  hope  of  i.'aining 
perchance  scnne  knowicdfio  In  the  end.  determined  him  to  live  for  a  long 
period  with  this  tribe,  lie  was  even  desirous  of  iroinit  with  hi-  lio-ts  to 
war,  and  when  the  winter  wa-  come,  the  season  that  the  Indians  choose 
ordinarily  for  their  hnntiujj:  and  military  e.vpedilions,  he  joined  the  llrst 
party  of  this  tribe  which  inarched  au'ainst  the  enemy,  lint  the  expeilition 
was  not  fortunate;  not  only  did  tiny  not  capture  a  sin^de  slave,  they 
even  lost  some  of  their  own  number.  Thus  it  is  that  these  tirst 
expeditious  rarely  -uccecd  becan-i'  the  enemy  are  then  upon  their  jiiuard. 
Moneachtabf'  did  not  back  ont.  He  joined  the  second  party  of  these 
sava^ic-,  which  returned  to  tlie  war  against  this  nation,  and  had  more 
good  fortune  this  time  than  the  llrst.  They  defeated  a  party  of  the 
enemy  and  took  four  prisoners,  three  men  and  a  woman  of  jibout  thirty- 
two  years  of  age.  who.  having  been  taken  by  our  traveller,  liccame  in 
conse<|Ueuce  ills  slave.  These  four  prisoners  were  conducted  in  triumph 
by  these  savages  to  their  village,  to  be  there  burned  with  ceremony, 
which  was  carried  (uit  with  tlie  three  men.  .Vs  for  the  woman 
Moncachtabfi  took  her  to  his  house,  married  her  and  treated  her  kindly, 
in  the  liope  of  drawing  from  her  some  ligli,  conceruinir  what  he  wanted 
to  know.  In  fact,  after  having  staunched  her  tears,  this  woman  liad  the 
less  trouble  to  reply  to  the  numerous  ((Ucstions  put  to  her  by  her 
husband  and  to  satisfy  his  cnriositv.  because  lie  -howed  so  much  friend- 
ship to  her,  and  she  knew  that  he  was  not  a  mniiber  of  the  tribe  which 
was  ail  enemy  of  her  own.     See  what  she  taught  him. 

"•The  country  where  we  live,"  said  she,  Ms  only  about  two  days' 
journey  from  the  Great  Water  [that  is  to  say  the  .Sea].  I  went  there 
about  four  vears  ago  with  maiiv  men  and  women  from  onr  village,  to 


tlsh  for  those  larae  shell  tlsh  whicli  serve  to  make  our  ear-rina 


and 


"■f\ 


j^» 


those  lariri'  plmiiie*  wliicli  iiinti  \m:w  m  flii»(r  hi'i»a*r-<.  Wlilk'  wc  were 
engaLTcil  in  ir.iilirriiir  tli'-in.  tli'Mt  u)')>';u'i»i!  upon  rln-  aivnr  wnter  n  Inrjje 
plroiiui'  ill  uliiih  tw  ij  or  ilirm  iiuui.*  •.<  rivi-.  n-^ri>  .m  i^iid.  fiuiii  wliicli 
iiilii;;  siiini'tliiii;:  :ittai'lii-i  liiiiii  \ty  viiti-'i  ir  i-*  iiula'."!  '"<  Mic  iiiuliT- 
8tniiil>  llKil  tills  ha'l  iN'horiiiti'iii  via 'inij  mi-'in  :i  vi"<-<.-l  -.vitli  lu.-i'  >ails]. 
Beliliiil  tliiis  iireat  vckHcl.'  '.•imtiiiuji'.i  >,ih,  •  «•>•  *;tw  a  •"iiiallcr  oiii'.  [It 
was  a  baru;f].  'J'lii«  v^i-Hel  fuv-n-c  t  '.w**  nnil  hpantifiil  river  wlu're 
tliey  tooli  ill  water,  nliicli  tli>-\  i:«Wi»i|  xm  w.>ll  «■»  wddiI  to  the  lartte 
vessel.  Tlio'ic  wIid  were  in  t'l-  «iuiikU>i>  f.»*«.«l  <inv  iis.  and  It  api'enrctl 
that  we  iiiutiially  feureil  ntvl  i.iUi«!  ff  .r  iiirst'he-'  Wf  ri'tlicd  under 
CDViT  of  a  wood  upon  a  hfi^tlii  A''.ii*m^  ir  w.t)»  i»a«y  for  ii-  to  >^oe  tlicni 
without  liein;;  prrciivcd  ouiM-:vf<..  TJlii»y  \v>ri»  ilvi-  ilays  taking'  !u  wood 
mill  water,  after  wliieli  tliev  u!l  j>t,urii'd  inro  rlie  laru'e  vi-^id,  wltliout 
our  heiiii;  al)li'  to  uuder^tiiu'l  li"\v  lii'V  '^vilrt  raNe  the  <iiialli'r  vessel 
into  tile  lar^e  one.  liecaii-f  w.  \\>Ye<.vi!B'  'iif.  .Vfvr  tlmt.  liavlnir  made 
to  inilate  that  whleli  «  »•  Kti*|ieu(i"<i  Uit'A  up  in  rlje  Lti'i'.'it  ve«<el,  tliej- 
were  lioriie  far  olfan.l  ili^a]ipeare(l  fy".M  .ui*  "iichr  a.-«  if  they  had  entered 
into  the  water.  .\«  we  liud  tiiu'-  <lui'u<r  rli^n  live  day-  that  thi'V  were 
near  us  to  examine  them.'  addwd  tlii*  -v  .man.  •  we  reiuarkivl  that  tliese 
men  were  smaller  lhauour>-.  ha'iw;  i  .vliii-e  *kin :  hair  upon  the  eliin, 
blank  and  white  :  no  hair  '>ut  »oiii.n;ii«!i:  ;"r.'ind  upon  the  head  :  they  hore 
upon  llieir  shoulder-  itarmeu',>  \vUi''i  .<m',.r4-ii  their  liodie-.  uiioii  the 
arms  lieinir  pa— ed  tlivouzh  tliem.  uii<'  "ae-w  .|e-.eeuded  just  to  the  ealf  of 
the  le^.  They  had  also  le;:_'iiij:»  loi^  ^iioe*  .lirtV-rent  from  ours.  What- 
ever we  could  do  we  were  iie\er  «■•>  -,,  ■■onnt  over  -even  in  the  sninll 
boat  witli  a  small  hoy,  witlioiri  uvf  vim.an.'  •  .""ui-h  i-  in  substance,' 
added  my  friend,  -the  reply  that  iUi>  -v;;.»  of  jrom-aclitaiie  made  to  the 
questions  of  her  hu-buiid.'  iiiKl  wjmt  r]\i-<  recital  1  was  very  luiich 
tenii)ted  to  believe  that  this  <.rr»:ir  VWirer.  .il"  wiiich  she  speaks,  niiuht 
very  well  lie  the  Sea  of  tlie  \Vk«i  «»ihk>tv  «'e  have  souirht  for  so  loiij;  a 
time." 

We  have  liere  an  account  wliii-U  J»  3»'-ev.Ml  from  nuicli  tiiat  is  calcu- 
lated to  tax  tlie  credulity  'jf  tlie  ir»ni<i»i!  ivi!  co-<l.ay.  We  are  not  called 
upon  to  explain  au  unnuai  lit.itBti'.'U  ro,>  l.ave  no  lireanns  and  no 
powder  with  its  laru'e  and  smiill  irruiu*.  The  ni'>rthwe-t  coast,  tlie  Alas- 
kan Peninsula  and  ISehriiiz'^  Kt'urt*  \vi'  '.ei*:  .lut  of  thl-  account.  Who 
is  responsible  for  the  chanire'r  JU'i^fja' >  Hi^r^'ivy  w.a-  published  in  1758. 
Diimoufs  "Meiiioire-  -ur  In  i.oui»<tuii'  '  ivimt*  out  in  IT."):}.  Prhu-  to  tlie 
publication  of  l)umoni>  \\ork.  liej^mj.  'luul  contributed  to  tiie  .lournal 
fEcoi  oiniqne  n  series  of  article*  wlu'il.  'it^wrme  in  hi.s  preface  an  abridg- 
ment of  his  liistory.  In  Duui'-urr'*-  'cult  there  Is  abundant  evidence  of 
jealousy  and  hard  feelini:  toward*-  lit-J'iic'.  He  alluiles  repeatedly  to  tiie 
articles  in  the  Journal  (Kioiioiui'iu*  mi'.  .ii-i-HHes  the'  writer  of  l)orrow- 
ini;  his  manuscript  and  apjiropviat'^m:  ii*  vork.  While  repeatedly  speak- 
ing of  him  as  a  frieml.  he  ehiirjB»«t-  iiin.  \v\th  hhinders.  inaccuracies  and 
falsehood.'  "His  friend"  had  :t»)')i«ri»iirly  fnrni.shed  Duiiiout  with 
the  information  he  had  ;:iitli>'r«i  u>nni  riii»  *uhjerts  in  which  he  was 
interested.  Tliese  (lUolutious  «  eiii  jiH^i-red  in  the  Menioire- with  due 
acknowiedirraent  only  for  the  (>ui3'*.h*.  we  -^lionld  judae,  of  being 
attacked  with  arifumeut  or  ricli'-ai«<'  'v'^tti  ■♦atire.     We  have  no  otlier 


'Dumont's  Memoire-.  vol.  %.  p.  Jltl  uul  iii-.re  ■ 
»Id.,  vol.  III.,  p.  2ny. 


clue  to  1)1 
His  Memo 
LeMascrle 
Diiiiuuit.' 
tliese  Men 
(plestion  t 
against  I.i 
accepted 
two  liook- 
has  been 
attack,  an 
incredible 
liimself  SI 
when  Dm 
length,  an 
if  it  was  i 
About  t 
going  on  1 
not  enabh 
the  relatic 
might  hav 
.loseph 
sented  to 
charts,  til 
Admiral  I' 
of  the  'Wi 
our  coutii 
West  whi 
then  recei 
phers   clu 
H     better  cai 
tight,  and 
ill  tracts  ! 
ridiculed 
"  But  wi 


'  Nouv* 
''  Dumo 
'Id.,  v< 
*Id.,  v, 

»DeLif 
Paris,  17 
I    desire 
looking 
attention 

"  Rema 
By  T.  Gi 


5 


*l 


liilr  wo  were 
wntiT  a  Inr/Jte 

I'i'llil   Wlllcll 

'  'Ml-    llllilrr- 

Ih    lll;r  Nllils], 

llfl'   one.      [It 

rhir  wliiTe 
t"  tlic  \ariie 
1  it  apiu'ni'ud 
•itiri'il  miller 

«  t.i  sfi;  tliclll 

kini.'  ill  WDOfl 

~-i-i.  witlidut 
iiialliT  vosel 

iiiivliii;  iiiaile 
■  ^•l•«l•i,  they 
y  liad  I'liti'i'c'd 
i:U  tliry  were 
i-"i  that  these 
pMll  llie  cllill, 
111 ;  tlii-y  hore 

••«,  iiiPDii  the 
tofhc  calf  of 
i)iir>.     Wliat- 

I  ill  the  Miinll 

II  ^iiihstaiice," 
•  maile  to  tlie 
-  very  iiiiich 
■|)eak>,  iiiiiiht 
for  so  lipiitc  a 

that  is  cnlcu- 
re  not  called 
arms  niid  no 
ast,  the  Alas- 
roiiiit.  Who 
ished  ill  1768. 
Prior  to  tlie 
)  the  Journal 
:ce  an  abrldg- 
t  evidence  of 
atedly  to  the 
r  of  borrow- 
atedly  speak- 
■I  iiracie.s  and 
)iinioi!t  with 
liicli  he  was 
ire-  witli  due 
e,  of  ijcing 
vc  no  other 


1 


I 


-i 


clue  to  Duinoiifs  identity  than  « iiifl  .-»  ^inii«hed  in  the  liook  itHelf. 
His  Meniuire*  were  ediled  by  M  i..  i,  J|..  -.aiil  to  have  lieeii  L'Alib6 
I.e.Mascrier.  They  have  been  ••ni.(U»i'.n.-»!.y  .irrrlhiited  by  some  to  Hutel 
Uumoiit.'  a  French  lawyer  uu'i  ittridi',i?  '■,t',ni  in  17:;.'.  As  tin' luithor  of 
tliese  Meiiioires  was  in  Li'iii-iB  iii  r  ::7i^,' ic  i<  of  eoiir-e  out  of  tlie 
question  that  JJutel  Diiiuoui  eoalol  uv)*-  written  the  book.  The  charge 
apiinst  LePnj;c  of  platriaritm.  vUi-ii  ?*  made  in  this  book,  has  been 
accepted  l)y  many  as  true,  o"  iiii-  tv  Hi*  ♦tniiljirity  of  the  contentH  of  the 
two  books,  but  a  careful  ei.aiiiiu«iii'.«i  vS  rhi»m  m.iy  prove  tliat  injustice 
has  been  done  Lel'at'e  du  Pratt.  M:W  ?:inra.-«tlc  theories  ni.-.y  invite 
attack,  and  lu'  may  record  hlorif*  jitijituvi i  ro  him  iiv  other;<  which  seem 
incredible,  but  when  he  coutine*  li.:.ui«;.l!  rc>  rhe  description  of  wiiat  he 
himself  saw,  there  is  hcldoni  rooit  l';W  i«ni;ici"ni.  On  the  otlier  hand, 
when  Duinmit  telN  us  that  be  >.»"  ii  iriirrli»-.nakK'  twenty-two  feet  lu 
lenatli.  and  a  fro^'  whicli  «iii;be'.i  liirj'y-fw.)  pounds,  we  may  well  ask 
if  It  was  in  the  reijion  tliat  we  k.ii'.'w  \»  r.iit*  Louisiana  of  that  time. 

About  the  same  time  that  tUebe  '.i'.i'^-»  i.».*re  published,  a  great  war  wan 
doing  on  aniona  the  carto<:rapliw>. ;»  invafew  of  whicli.  although  it  may 
not  enable  us  to  reach  an  exact  c.'.»U" itt+ii'.*.  ^viil  aid  us  in  compreheiiiling 
the  relations  of  these  two  men  imJ  tiW  i«ri»nt  to  which  partNaii  feelings 
might  have  been  aroused  iu  sucii  a  '.i':ttJi.»>rt. 

Joseph  Xicolas  J)e  Lisle  iu  1754.  viui'  Pllilippe  Buache  in  17,53,  pre- 
sented to  the  French  Academy  lA  V.-i»iiiii».  .Vtemoires'  accompanied  liy 
charts,  the  oliject  of  which  wu*.  tv  ;T*ti'iHc.ile  riu-  fabulous  voyages  of 
.\dmiral  Fonte :  Maldonado't  uijili;':u  ♦."ittuh* ol*  .Vnian :  tlie  unknown  .Sua 
of  the  West,  which  occupied  tUt  «v>".*  or  any  part  of  the  interior  of 
our  continent  to  suit  the  geogriit«liW*  «*«« ;  anil  the  alleged  river  of  the 
West  which  was  dotted  iu  to  t-v'n.  iil«t  imry  of  the  engraver,  with  the 
then  recent  discovery  of  our  c.oa»l  \f  KiiiiMa:^.  The  French  cartogra- 
phers clung  to  Fouie  and  Maklyuttilv  •with  :v  pertinacity  worthy  of  a 
better  cause.  Writers  iu  KUMiia.  ''ii«m:iny  and  Fjigland  took  up  the 
tight,  and  articles  were  publi«,lie'.l  inllirt^ -icientirtc  works  of  tlie  day  and 
iu  tracts  specially  devoted  t.u  liie  *iu'.;-^<:'.  iu  wliii-h  these  charts  were 
ridiculed  and  unworthy  motive*  -ww*  Mi:dhuteil  'o  the  geographers. 
"But  within   this   ceutujw."  buy*  'lUrt^   if  these  tracts,'   "tlie  French 


'  Nouveiie  Biograpliie  'jeuf-raW.  ♦*«  Bi'VT,.:i-r>umout. 

''  Duraoufs  Memoire»,  Prefuoe  BiUi  t;  BC,  p.  •■;;». 

'Id.,  vol.  I.,  p.  lO'J. 

•Id.,  vol.  II.,  p.  2C7. 

*DeLlsle's  Espilcatioii  de  la  cart*  '.<»*  Jfonvelles  decouvortes,  etc., 
Paris,  1752.  15uache"B  Cou^idera^i'.a^♦  Oo-i-raphiijUes,  etc.,  Paris.  1753. 
I  desire  to  ackuowlec'ge  the  iftTtii+ftincit  of  .\rr.  Jn-tiu  Winsia-  in 
looking  up  the  cartography  oi'  ritt  **!»  >->i  the  U'est.  He  called  my 
attention  to  these  Memoire*.  for  Mlkt'ii  my  i;hanks  are  especially  due. 

'Remarks  in  Support  of  the  Sevr  CiiWfi:  if  Xorth  and  South  America. 
By  T.  Green.  Esq..  Li.iidon.  ITr.S.  ;•.  ix 


foKorri 


SSwt  •-; 


22 

geographers  have  wliolly  omitted  Xow  AUiioii,  and  converted  Port  Sir 
Francis  Drake  into  Port  San  Francisco,  dishonoring  tlie  name  of  the 
knight  and  clianging  it  into  one  ol"  their  spurious  saints."  Our  two  his- 
torians, wlio  were  tlien  at  work  upon  tlieir  l)ooks,  were  necessarily 
afl'ected  by  lliis  contest.  To  take  sides  wiili  liis  countrymen  would  have 
cost  LePaije  dn  Pratz  his  faith  in  Moncnelit-Apr.  To  him  the  tale  of 
the  Indian,  crossing  the  country  in  scirch  of  the  lionie  of  his  ancestors, 
was  more  in  synipatliy  than  were  the  wild  conjectures  about  the  sea  lu 
the  hea''t  of  the  continent.  It  must  be  borne  in  nnnd  that  the  measure  of 
the  breadth  of  our  continent  from  ocean  to  ocean  had  only  been  taken  at 
Mexico.  Every  league  tliat  the  explorers  on  the  Jllssouri  a.lded  to  its 
width  was  a  surprise.  California'  was  an  island  on  many  charts  for  nearly 
two  hundred  years  afier  an  expedition  sent  out  by  Cortez  had  settled  the 
fact  that  it  was  a  peninsula.  If  the  ishnid  theory  liad  to  be  abandoned, 
then  the  next  way  to  narrow  the  distance  from  shore  to  shore  was  l)y 
means  of  an  inland  sea.  Fuca's  inlet  and  .Aguilar's  alleged  river  were 
accepted  as  entrances  to  this  theoretical  sea.  The  tales  of  the  Indians 
were  believed  to  prove  its  existence.  The  most  incredible  thing  to  the 
French  geograi)her  of  that  day— the  thing  which  he  was  least  prepared 
to  admit — was  the  broad  stretch  of  land  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Oregon. 
La  Houtan,  in  1703,  pul)lished  in  his  book  a  copy  of  an  Indian  map 
drawn  on  deer's  skin,  showing  the  Kocky  Mountains  and  a  river  heading 
al)ont  where  the  Columbia  heads  and  Ilowiug  indetlnitely  West.  Tills 
chart  is  recognized  by  LePage-  in  the  map  which  accompanied  his 
history.  Such  a  river  might,  perhaps,  have  been  permitted  to  llow  into 
the  "Sea  of  the  West,"  as  the  distance  from  its  source  to  its  mouth 
was  absolutely  an  unknown  quantity,  l)ut  LePai;e  was  aware  and  admi's 
the  fact,^  that  belief  in  Moncacht-Ape's  tale  involved  giving  up  this 
favorite  speculation  of  the  French  geographers.  He  thus  was  com- 
pelled to  t.ake  the  opposite  side  in  this  controversy  from  that  maintained 
by  the  "  Premier  Geographer  of  the  King  of  France,  and  one  of  the 
most  eminent  Astronomers  of  the  Ac.ademv  of  Science."' 


'  Remarks  in  Support  of  the  New  Chart  of  North  and  >South  America. 
By  T.  Green,  Esq.,  Loudon,  1753,  p.  22. 

'LePage  du  Pratz.  Histoire  de  la  Louisiane,  Vol.  III.,  pp.  138,  139, 
note.  La  Houtan'.'-  chart  is  there  alluded  to  with  the  statement  that  this 
river  must  have  been  the  one  which  Moncacht-Ap6  descended  to  the 
"  Sea  of  the  South  or  Pacitlc." 

^Histoire  de  la  Louisiane.  Vol.  III.,  p.  138.  Speaking  of  the  Pea  of 
the  West  of  the  cartographers,  he  says.  "  For  my  part  I  am  strongly 
impelled  to  believe  that  it  exists  only  in  imagination."  .Same,  p.  137  ; 
"  I  can  not  persuade  myself  otherwise  than  that  he  travelled  upon  the 
shores  of  the  Sea  of  the  Sontli,  of  which  the  northern  part  may  l)c  called 
if  you  wish,  the  Seu  of  the  West.  Same,  p.  139  :  '•  This  beautiful  river 
fails  Into  the  sea,  at  the  West,  .  .  .  which  by  this  account  iudlcates  only 
the  Sea  of  the  South  or  Pacific  Ocean." 

*  Remarks  in  Support  of  the  New  Chart  of  North  and  South  America. 
By  T.  Green,  Esq..  London.  175:!,  p.      40. 


I 


_a 


f 


23 


i-icd  Port  Sir 
iiiuiic  of  the 
ijiii'  two  Iiis- 

e  iifcesMirily 

II  would  have 

III  tlio  tale  of 
his  ancestors, 
out  the  sea  lu 
lie  lueasiire  of 
beeu  taken  nt 
i  ailded  to  it*, 
irts  for  nearly 
lad  settled  the 
)e  abandoned, 
shore  was  by 
ed  river  were 
of  the  Indians 
1'  tiling  to  tlie 
east  prepared 
ia  to  Oregon. 
11  Iiulian  map 

river  heading 
West.  This 
onipaniod  his 
I'd  to  tlow  iuto 
to  its  mouth 
ire  and  adnii'M 
[iving  u|)  this 
ins  was  com- 
iiit  maintained 
id  one  of  the 


•juth  America. 

.,  pp.  13S,  139, 
meiit  that  this 
lended  to  the 

:  of  the  Rea  of 
I  am  strongly 
.Same,  p.  13"'; 
elled  upon  the 
may  be  called 
tieautiful  river 
indicates  only 

outh  America. 


! 


Duinont  ranged  himself  with  lii-^  countrymen.  lie  had  written  to 
Buaclie'  a  letter  in  wliicii  he  L..\i)rfssed  opinliiii-^  on  the  subject  similar 
to  those  which  may  \>u  found  in  his  boul;.  His  opinion  i>  also  jdainly 
shown  in  the  following  extract,  taken  from  his  Imok.  wliicli  iiuniediately 
follows  the  Indian's  story  :=  "Whatever  one  may  think  of  this  narra- 
tive of  Sienr  LePage,  w-liich  some  perhaps  will  look  upon  less  as  n 
reality  than  as  a  bad  copy  of  Robinson,  it  cannot  possibly  snlllco  to  give 
more  light  to  our  geographers  concerning  the  tine  position  of  the  Sea 
of  the  West  and  the  route  to  take  to  arrive  there  through  North 
Ainrrica.  To  make  this  more  certain  it  is  necessary  to  consult  the  new 
chart  of  North  America  recutly  made  liy  Messrs.  De  Lisle  ami  Buache." 
A  change  had  come  over  the  spirit  of  his  dream  since  writing  in  his 
preface:  "his  (LePage's)  rolh^ctions  seem  just;  amongst  others,  those 
where  he  points  out  to  u~  a  route  to  Hnd  the  Sea  of  the  West  by  the 
river  Missouri,  based  upon  a  description  made  to  him  by  a  Yazoo 
Indian  known  to  the  author." 

We  find  no  trace  of  a  controversial  sjjirit  in  LePage's  book,''  and 
yet  we  may  rest  assured  that  the  inlluence^  which  cost  Duinont  his 
belief  in  Moncachl-.Ape's  stoi-y  would  only  fan  the  tires  of  faith  with  one 
of  Lei  age's  enthusiastic  temperament. 

Although  Duinont  claims  in  his  prefaie  to  have  known  the  Yazoo 
Indian,  still  he  credits  tlie  story,  as  we  have  seen,  to  LePage.  and  there 
is  enough  of  identity  to  assure  the  coinnion  origin  of  the  two  versions. 
Their  dilfereuces,  however,  are  so  radical  that  thev  cannot  be  explained 
as  the  ordinary  changes  to  which  such  stories  are  subject  in  passing 
from  person  to  person.  The  ill-will  that  Duniont  entertained  toward 
LePage  might  perhaps  have  furnished  .an  adequate  motive  for  him  to 
Inve  altered  or  supjiressed  the  story:  but,  inaildition  to  the  fact  that 
Dnmonl's  version  is  much  tlie  more  credible  of  the  two,  it  must  be 
hijrne  in  mind  that  LePage  had  recently  published  a  series  of  articles  in 
the  .louriial  (Ecouoini.jue  and  it  is  presumable  that  he  was  on  the  spot, 
or  wliere  lie  could  see  Dumont's  book  when  it  should  come  out,  and 
would  therefore  notice  any  changes  in  statements  attributed  to  himself 
as  authority.  With  LePage  on  the  spot  and  with  the  pages  of  a  period- 
ical at  his  command,  Dumont  might  venture  to  prod  him  with  satire  and 
comineiits.  but  would  scarcely  have  dared  to  falsify  liini.  It  seems 
incredible  that  LePage  should  not  have  seen  Dumont's  liook,  but  if  he 
did  so  his  failure  to  notice  in  his  own  work  the  references  to  himself 
with  which  Dumont's  pages  bristle,  remains  a  mystery  to  puzzle  us  still. 


'Considerations  Geographiques,  etc.,  par  Philippe  Buaclie.  Paris 
1753,  p.  36. 

'Dumont's  Memoires  sur  la  Louisiane,  Paris.  1753,  p.  24i;,  et  seq. 

■■"  Unless  the  following  extract  fr  jm  tlie  preface,  referring  to  certain 
other  Hclations,  may  be  considered  as  alluding  to  some  individual, 
perhaps  Dnmoiit:  "It  is  then  absolutely  necessary  to  destroy  these 
false  opinions  occasioned  by  these  untrue  accounts,  often  full  of  malig- 
nity and  nearlv  alwavs  of  ianorance.  " 


24 


TIr'  review  of  tliis  partisiui  ooiitroversy  aiul  the  proof  of  its  close 
connection  witli  tlie  Monciiclil-Ape  story  has  enaljletl  us  to  sec  some  of 
the  sources  of  information  which  would  inevitably  have  attracted  the 
observation  of  a  ^eocrrapher  diirini;  the  interim  between  Moncacht-Ap6's 
telling  his  story  and  LePage's  publication  of  his  liistory.  That  LePago's 
attention  was  attracted  to  the  controversy  of  the  cartographers  we 
know,'  because  he  tells  us  that  the  French  charts  show  the  possibility 
of  the  connection  of  tlie  land  at  the  North-west  of  America  and  the 
North-ea<t  of  Asia,  as  suggested  l)y  the  Indian.  But  these  were  not  the 
only  sources  of  information  oj)en  to  LePage  in  175'i  which  have  not  been 
included  in  our  revievv  of  the  Ivuowledge  which  he  might  have  obtained 
at  the  date  of  the  Indian's  story.  During  the  si.xteen  years  which  had 
passed  "oetwoen  the  return  to  Siberia  of  the  Behring's  Expedition  in 
1742'  and  the  time  of  LePage's  going  to  press,  more  or  less  of  the 
iuforujation  gathered  by  that  expedition  had  lieen  furuislied  to  the  public. 
The  war  of  the  geographers  as  to  the  aullienticity  of  the  Fonte  and 
Maldouado  forgeries  necosarily  attracted  great  attention  to  the  reports 
of  the  men  who  accompanied  Behring.  Buachc'  in  his  Jlejnolro  to  the 
Academy  seeks  to  identify  their  land-falls  witli  the  Fou-Sang  of  the 
Chinese.  Among  other  things  recorded  l)y  the  naturalists  who  accom- 
panied the  expedition,  and  published  by  Miiller*  in  1758,  we  And  the 
facts  that  i  :  coast  Indians  were  in  the  hiibit  of  eating  seals,  and  were 
observed  Ij  eat  roots  which  they  had  dug  ont  of  the  ground.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  information  upon  these  two  points  had  been  in  posses- 
sion of  European  naturalists  for  at  least  fifteen  years.  It  would  not 
have  been  remarkalile  if  during  tliat  time  it  had  come  to  the  ears  of  a 
man  of  LePage's'  tastes,  but  on  the  other  hand  there  had  been  no  such 
pul)lication  of  it  as  to  Justify  us  in  saying  lliat  he  mu-t  have  seen  it. 

The  knowledge  of  the  coa>t-line  iliseovered  liy  Heliring  must  have 
been  brought  to  his  attention  by  DeLisie  and  by  Buache's  cliarts,  and  as 
he  was  not  hampered  by  the  necessity  of  reconciling  the  actual  discover- 
ies with  the  hypotlictical  maps  bused  upon  the  alleged  voyages  of  Fontfe 
and  Maldouado,  he  would  naturally  have  constructed  a  coast  line  which 
would  approximate  the  real  one.     If  the  coa.st  line  of  Siberia,  explored 


'LePage  du  Pratz,  "Histoire  de  la  Louisiane,"  Paris,  1758,  vol.  III., 
p.  13G. 

•Miiller  returned  to  St.  Prtersl)uru'  Fel).  15.  1748.  See  -Miiller's 
Voyages  Asia  to  .\nierica,  Jefferys'  translation,  p.  107. 

■"Considerations   Geographiques,  etc.,  P.  Buaehe,  Paris,  1750,  p.  47. 

^See  .Jetrerys'  translation  of  Miiller's  Vovages,  Asia  to  .\nierica, 
1764,  p.  00. 

^That  he  was  in  such  close  contact  with  the  savants  of  the  period 
as  to  justify  this  l)elief,  would  appear  from  the  fact  that  he  says  in  his 
Preface,  tliat  he  was  urged  by  "  the  savants  to  reproduce  his  ethno- 
logical papers  for  the  Journal  iFIconoralque  in  book  form." 


S  by  Behring ! 

navigator,  1 

in  1741,  and 

chart,  the  e 

^  -without  see 

'  siaus  acccp' 

•,'  duced  by  J( 

,  to-day,  and 

,      Up  to  thi 

I  of  the  histc 

J  was  entitle- 

^  in  its  relati 

its  writer. 

came  habit 

be  predict( 

cargo  of  dj 

visits?    If 

difflculty  li 

prove  that 

Japan,  but 

one  to  bell 

\     the  Japani 

'*  both  recoi 


\ 


coast,'  but 
the  theory 
from  Islan 
should  be 
Is  no  knov 
and  there 
of  a  partic 
The  coUec 
woods  for 
and  if,  coi 
vessels  ca 
then  we  n 
A  careful 

'  Vovaf! 
don,  1764, 
dou,  1753 

•  Iudec( 
"The  pa.- 
proves  to 
Apt's  sto 

'  Proce 
Paper  on 
West  Coi 

*"Cou 


▼ 


25 


r  of  its  close 
see  some  of 
iittnictcd  the 
iicacht-ApO's 
liat  LcPajje's 
raplicrs  we 
;  possibility 
lica  anil  the 
were  not  the 
iiive  not  been 
lave  obtained 
which  had 
ixpedition   iu 
r  kss  of  the 
to  the  public, 
le  Fonte  and 
o  the  reports 
emoiro  to  the 
Sans?  of  the 
'  who  accom- 
we  anil  the 
als.  and  were 
iiind.     It  will 
•CM  in  posses- 
It  would   not 
the  ears  of  a 
been  no  such 
e  seen  it. 
li  must  have 
:Ii:iits,  and  as 
tual  iliscover- 
ises  of  Fontfe 
St  line  which 
iria,  explored 

'•iS,  vol.  III., 

See    MUller's 

1753,  p.  47. 
to   America, 

)f  the  period 
le  says  In  his 
e  his  ethuo- 


v 


'  by  Behrlng  In  1728  j  the  strcngv;  coast  opposite  reached  by  Gwosdew,'  the 
i  uavigator,  In  1730 ;  the  points  ou  the  American  coast  reached  by  Bchrlug 
in  1741,  and  the  general  trend  of  the  known  coast  below  be  plotted  on  a 
chart,  the  existence  of  the  strait  through  which  Behrlug  twice  sailed 
without  seeing  America  will  be  Inferred  wit. .out  hesitation.  The  Rus- 
sians accepted  this  inference,  and  published  a  chart  which  was  repro- 
duced by  Jefl'erys  iu  17i')4.  This  cliart  closely  resembles  the  mai)s  of 
to-day,  and  Moucacht-ApC's  descri|ition  may  fairly  be  applied  to  it.' 

Up  to  this  point  we  have  sought  to  analyze  the  sources  of  knowledge 
of  the  historian  so  as  to  know  what  weight  the  argument  of  coiucldeuces 
was  entitle^  to,  and  also  to  discover  if  there  was  aught  iu  the  story  or 
in  its  relation  to  the  controversies  of  the  day  to  imperil  the  judgment  of 
its  writer.  It  remains  for  us  to  ask,  what  about  the  bearded  men  who 
came  habitually  to  the  coast  with  such  regularity  that  their  arrival  could 
be  predicted  within  a  few  days;  whose  purpose  was  simply  to  get  a 
cargo  of  dye-wood  and  who  had  no  expectation  of  tralHc  on  these  annual 
visits?  If  we  admit  this  part  of  the  story  to  be  true  we  shall  have  no 
difllculty  in  accepting  the  learned  argument  of  M.  de  Quatrefages  to 
prove  that  the  foreigners  came  from  Lieou-Tchou  or  the  Ea.steru  Isles  of 
Japan,  but  if  we  submit  the  talc  to  a  careful  scrutiny,  it  is  not  an  easy 
one  to  believe.  There  Is  no  sutlicient  evidence  to  justify  the  belief  that 
the  Japanese  habitually  made  such  venturesome  voyages.  We  have 
both  record  and  tradition  of  the  arrival  of  Japanese  vessels  on  our 
coast,'  but  they  have  always  plainly  been  unwilling  visitors.  Even  if 
the  theory  that  tlie  Cliluese  found  their  way  ivom  coast  to  island  and 
from  Island  to  coast,  until  they  reached  the  so-called  laud  of  Fou  Sang* 
should  be  accepted,  there  is  no  evidence  of  habitual  visitations.  Tliere 
is  no  known  wood  upon  our  coast  of  particular  value  as  a  dye-wood, 
and  tiiere  is  no  part  of  the  North  I'acitlc  coast  wliere  the  extermination 
of  a  particular  species  of  tree  would  leave  the  inhabitants  without  wood. 
The  collection  of  a  cargo  of  dye-wood  In  a  country  which  has  no  valuable 
woods  for  that  purpose,  Is  not  a  suHicient  reason  for  an  annual  visit, 
and  If.  correcting  tlie  story  to  make  it  more  probable,  we  admit  that  the 
vessels  came  for  purposes  of  trade  as  indicated  in  the  Indian  leseuds. 
then  we  must  insist  upon  lludiug  traces  of  that  trade  along  the  coast. 
A  careftil  csamiuatlou  of  the  authorities  does  not  disclose  in  the  hands 


'Voyages  from  Asia  to  America.  Jliiller  translated  by  Jelt'erys.  Lon- 
don, 1764,  p.  5.5.  Green's  "Keuiarks  In  support  of  the  New  Chart."  Lon- 
don, 1753,  p.  25. 

•Indeed  this  is  just  what  LePage  himself  says  of  it,  vol.  III..  i36 : 
"The  passage  of  the  Kussiaus  from  Asia  to  America  where  they  landed, 
proves  to  us  that  the  coast  may  run  In  a  Hue  conformable  to  Moncacht- 
Ap6's  story." 

'Proceedings  of  the  American  .Antiquarian  Society,  April  2.'?.  1872. 
Paper  on  the  likelihood  of  an  admixture  of  Japanese  blood  on  our  North- 
West  Coast,  by  Horace  Davis. 

*"Cousid6rations  Geographiques,"  etc.,  P.  Buaclie.  Paris,  17.i3.  p.  11. 


26 


of  the  luiliaiis  evidence  suillcleut  to  prove  the  existence  of  sncb  a  trade. 
Bodega'  In  1775.  at  Port  Trinidad,  fouud  some  Iron  among  the  Indians, 
but  the  chronicler  of  the  expedition  reports  that  what  they  chiefly  valued 
In  traffic  "was  iron  and  particularly  knives  or  hoops  of  old  barrels." 
Cook'  found  iron  and  brass  among  the  Indians.  Their  tomahawks  were 
made  of  .'<tone.  Their  arrows  were  generally  pointed  with  bone.  They 
had  chisels  and  knives  of  iron ;  the  latter  shaped  like  pruning-knives 
with  the  edge  on  the  back.  He  also  met  one  Indian  who  had  two  silver 
spoons,  apparently  of  Spanish  manufacture.  And  yet  he  says:"  "We 
never  observed  the  least  signs  of  their  having  seen  ships  before,  nor  of 
their  having  traded  with  such  people.  Many  circumstances  seem  to 
prove  this  almost  beyond  a  doubt."  )^ 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  evidences  of  some  sort  of  traffic  with 
outsiders  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  on  the  Northwest  coast,  Greenhow* 
cites  Friar  Penas's  journal  of  a  voyage  of  Juan  Perez,  and  also  quotes 
from  the  narrative  of  the  expedition  of  Behring,'both  of  which  expedi- 
tions, he  F.iys,  found  knives  and  articles  of  iron  in  the  hands  of  the 
natives.  But  he  concludes  each  account  with  the  statement  that  they 
appeared  never  before  to  have  held  any  intercourse  with  civilized  people. 
The  uniform  testimony  of  the  early  voyagers  to  the  existence  of  metallic 
ornaments  and  knives  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  which  had  apparently 
been  introduced  from  outside  sources,  can  leave  but  little  doubt  of  the 
fact.  The  negative  testimony  of  Vancouver"  as  to  the  Indians  at 
Trinidad,  whom  Bodega  had  found  with  both  iron  and  copper,  but  who 
in  1793  had  neither,  must  be  accepted  as  proof  only  that  the  supply  of 
these  Indians  was  not  constant,  and  that  the  amount  owned  by  them 
must  have  been  small.  The  unfamiliarity  of  the  Indians  with  vessels 
and  the  irregularities  of  the  stock  of  these  metals,  especially  when  taken 
in  connection  with  the  silver  spoons,  would  point  to  some  Inland  source 
of  supply. 

The  flr.st  glance  at  the  Japanese  chart  brought  to  Europe  by  Kaempfer, 
a  copy  of  whicli  is  given  In  the  DeLisle  and  Buache  Memoires,  showing 
as  it  does  a  familiarity  with  our  coast  at  lea.st  as  great  as  that  shown  in 
the  original  charts  of  tliese  cartograpliers,  would  suggest  that  this  was 
in  itself  a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  the  annual  visits  of  the  Japauese 
vessels  to  this  part  of  the  world.  The  trouble  with  the  chart,  however, 
for  this  purpose  is  that  it  shows  too  much.  The  accuracy  of  the  outlines 
of  the  Gulf  of  CalH'ornia  and  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  could  not  have  come 
from  Japanese  sources.    The  same  authority  that  contributed  these  out- 


llines  may  hai 
Icoiijectures  c 
fthis  chart. 
So  far  as  i 


'Miscellanies  of  Dnines  Ba;'riugton,  London,  1775,  pp.  488,  489. 

'Cook's  Voyages,  London,  17S4,  pp.  207,  271,  279,  282,  311,  327,  330. 

'Id.,  1784,  p.  331. 

*  Greenhow's  Oregon,  Boston  I.?44,  p.  116. 

'id.,  1844,  p.  132. 

'Vancouver,  London,  17'J8,  v.  IL,  243. 


«  concerned 

'tfi 


tl 


day,  when  w 
Chinese,  hav 
unravelling  t 
we  do  not  V 
people,  to  m 
facts  of  the  s 
his  own  day, 
about  the  mi 
One  word 
draw  our  c( 
review  touc 
Moncacht-A 
Xow  if  he  c 
description 
the  general 
what  we  kii 
North  Flatti 
should  expi 
river  and  ta 
of  the  raout 
knew  whicl 
where  he  ci 
conclusion 
bank,'  evei 
have  seen 
we  have  oc 
them  to  thi 
accept,  noi 
may  conce 
Indian's  a 
stationed 
for  Le  Pay 
in  more  dl 
its  founda 

'  It  is  111 
years  afte 
"been  spca 
the  West 
America. 
London, 
"  Dumo 
'This  a 
Duniont  i 


iich  a  trade. 

the  ladiaus, 

hiefly  valued 

!d  barrels." 

ibawks  were 

Doue.     They 

uing-knives 

id  two  silver 

says;'   "We 

efore,  nor  of 

ces  seem  to 

traffic   with 

:,  Greenhow* 

1  also  quotes 

hich  expedi- 

lands  of  the 

nt  that  they 

llzed  people. 

le  of  metallic 

d  apparently 

doubt  of  the 

J  Indians   at 

)er,  but  who 

;he  supply  of 

ned  by  them 

with  vessels 

y  when  taken 

nland  source 

)y  Kaempfer, 
res,  showing 
liat  shown  In 
hat  this  was 
the  Japanese 
rt.  however, 
the  outlines 
It  have  come 
ed  these  out- 

?,  489. 

11,  327,  330. 


1 


'lines  may  h.ive  furulshod,  and  probably  did  furnish,  the  knowledge  and 
iconjectiii'es  on  which  the  line  of  our  Northwest  coast  was  assumed  In 
'tills  chart. 

So  far  as  the  guns  and  the  details  with  reference  to  the  powder  are 
concerned,  the  curious  statements  of  Moiicaclit-ApO  may  at  some  future 
day,  when  we  shall  know  more  about  the  history  of  the  Japanese  and 
Chinese,  have  a  irreatMr  value  than  they  possess  at  present,  as  factors  in 
unravelling  this  complicated  riuestion.  All  that  we  can  now  say  is  that 
we  do  not  know  enough  about  the  weapons  or  the  powder  of  the^e 
people,  to  make  any  use  of  the  statements  in  our  attempts  to  get  at  the 
facts  of  the  story.  Moucacht-Ap6  not  only  anticipated  the  knowledge  of 
his  own  day,  but  also,  as  yet,  of  ours,  for  we  have  not  learned  enough 
about  the  matter  to  say  whether  he  told  the  truth. 

One  word  as  to  the  route  of  the  Indian,  and  we  shall  be  prepared  to 
draw  our  conclusions  from  this  protracted  discussion,  having  in  our 
review  touched  upon  the  various  points  which  we  started  to  examine. 
Moncacht-Ap6  specifies  that  he  kept  up  the  North  bank  of  the  Missouri. 
Now  if  he  continued  on  the  North  bank  of  the  river  to  its  source,  his 
description  of  the  way  to  reach  the  head-waters  of  the  Columbia  and  of 
the  general  direction  of  that  river  from  that  point  is  irreconcilable  with 
what  we  know  of  its  course.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he  went  up  the 
North  Platte,  which  would  agree  with  the  general  courses  he  gave,  we 
should  expect  some  record  in  the  narrative,  of  his  crossing  the  main 
river  and  taking  up  the  tributary,  for  he  spent  the  winter  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  mouth  of  the  Platte,  aud  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  Indians 
knew  which  was  the  main  stream.  Further  he  is  particular  in  mentioning 
where  he  crossed  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  rivers,  which  favors  the 
conclusion  that  his  course  was,  as  he  Intimates,  constantly  on  the  North 
bank,'  even  at  the  expense  of  making  his  account  a  little  foggy.  We 
have  seen  that  the  story  of  the  journey  was  not  only  a  possibility,  but 
we  have  occasional  records  of  men  whose  habits  of  mind  and  body  ie.id 
them  to  these  solitary  expeditions.  It  does  not  ret|iilre  that  we  should 
accept,  nor  need  we  reject  the  alleged  motives  of  the  expedition,  but  we 
may  concede  the  probability  that  the  outline  of  the  tale  came  from  the 
Indian's  mi/Uth.  Dumont,  who  tells  us  that  he  knew  him,  h.id  been 
stationed  among  the  Yazoos'  as  well  as  at  Nfitchez,  and  in  his  contempt 
for  Le  Page's  speculations  he  would  have  been  glad  to  denounce  the  story 
in  more  direct  terms  if  he  had  not  believed  that  there  was  some  truth  at 
its  foundation." 

'It  is  Init  just  to  allude  here  to  the  fact  that  Charlevoix  says,  a  few 
years  after  the  savage's  journey,  ".VII  these  natives  of  whom  1  have 
been  speaking  (The  Mlssouris  and  Canzes  were  inchided  i  dwell  upon 
the  Western  bank  of  the  Missouri."  Journal  of  a  voyage  to  North 
America.  Translated  from  the  French  ol'  P.  de  Charlevoix,  Vol.  II., 
London,  1761,  p.  224. 

■Dumont's  Memolres,  &c.,  Paris,  17,i3,  v.  II.,  p.  G9. 

'This  argument  was  anticipated  by  Mr.  Samuel  Engcl,  who  says,  "  M. 
Dumont  who  has  given  another  relation  of  Louisiana,  in  which  he,  or  at 


'2» 


The  Isolation  of  a  life  at,  Natchez  kept  LePaue's  active  liraln  at  work 
upon  the  facts  that  he  haO  accmnulatetl  eoncernin;;  the  migrations  of  the 
Indians  aiul  their  forms  of  government.  He  frameil  theoriej*  and  then 
proponnded  lending  interrogatories  wliich  were  better  calculated,  per- 
haps, than  he  thought  to  lirlng. forth  the  answers  that  he  wanted.  The 
running  commentaries  hy  Dunmnt  in  his  Memolres  call  attention  to  this 
weakness  ou  the  part  uf  Lel'age,  and  the  conelnsiou  is  irresistible  tliat 
he  colored  the  statements  of  the  Indians,  or  the  Indians  cheerfully 
adapted  their  answers  to  his  needs. 

Tlie  argument  of  coincidence  l)etween  wliat  was  stated  by  Moncaeht- 
Ape  concrning  this  unknown  rc'gion  and  suljsetiueut  discoveries  is  very 
properly  claimed  by  M.  de  Quatrefages  as  of  great  value.  But  if  its 
application  should  show  that  there  is  no  error  of  statement  so  long  as 
tlie  narrative  deals  with  regions  that  were  thoroughly  explored;  that  it 
introduces  statements  concerning  whidi  we  are  incredulous  or  doubtful 
only  whi'n  it  arrives  at  a  region  about  which  nothing  was  then  known; 
and  that  in  some  of  the  more  fanciful  iiortions  of  tlie  tale  we  think  that 
we  can  trace  the  rei>roduction  of  legends  already  familiar  to  us  from  the 
Relations ;  if  these  are  the  coincidences  that  our  e.xaniiuation  establishes, 
then  our  couclusion  will  i)e  that  the  personality  of  LePage  has  materially 
affected  the  value  of  the  story.  To  sliow  that  this  is  really  so,  it  hardly 
ueeds  that  we  should  point  to  tlic  wonderful  truthfulness  of  the  story  so 
long  as  it  is  conflned  to  the  East  and  to  the  lower  Missouri :  to  tlie  ac- 
curacy with  which  tlie  course  of  that  river  is  given  where  it  had  l)een 
e.NploriHl ;  to  the  fact  that  our  tlrst  conlllct  with  moderu  explorations 
conies  at  the  point  where  tin.'  traveller  treads  on  entirely  new  ground; 
to  the  strong  family  roseml)lance  between  the  bearded  men  with  their 
strange  clothing,  and  Sagard  Theodafs  smooth-laced  men  with  tlieir 
leggings  and  shoes;  to  the  e.xtraordiiiaiy  differences  between  the  two 
eudings,  in  whicli  many  of  the  additional  materials  found  in  the  later 
publication  correspond  closely  with  new  facts  brought  to  the  notice  of 
European  scientists  by  the  Behring's  Expedition. 

As  to  the  curious  details  concerning  the  guns  and  the  powder,  the 
only  place  to  which  we  can  look  for  their  corroboration  is  the  Orient. 
Sliould  research  fail  to  discover  the  use  of  similar  weapons  and  materials 
tliere,  it  would  stamp  this  part  of  the  story  as  a  lictiou. 

In  examining  tlie  qnestioii  of  motive  and  responsibility  we  have 
learned  enough  of  the  cartograpliic  controversy  to  see  that  not  alone 
DeLlsle  and  Buaclie  on  the  one  side  and  Green  and  Jefferys  on  the 
other,  l)Ut  that  men  from  all  parts  of  Europe  drifted  into  that  discussiou. 


least  his  editor,  is  often  of  a  contrary  opinion  to  M.  LeP.age,  far  from 
contradicting  tills  journey  of  JIoncacht-Ape  gives  an  extract  from  it  iu 
his  work.  Now  M.  Duiiiont  has.  tliey  say.  lived  twenty-two  years  in 
this  country.  He  would  not  have  lost  the  opportunity  to  contradict  M. 
LePage,  if  he  had  recounted  a  fable." 

'•  Memoircs  et  Observations  Oeographiques,  etc.     Par  M.       •      *      * 
[Saiiuiel  Engel]  Lausanne,  1765, 'p.  108. 


•■ 


1 
:* 


^\Ve  have  set 

Iwhile  we  c« 

f^have  found 

able  to  shov 

Ithat  the  Dm 

^that  the  rai 

presence  of 

the  memoirt 

on  LePage  h 

him.     The  f 

Dumout,  hi' 

emphasis  to 

EiiKilly,   ' 

cliauge  froi 

men  of  the 

to  in  the  pu 

Spangber 

stature  "  w 

middle  age 

}      1748,   says, 

search  of  i 

affirm  that 

towards  thi 

them  men  1 

Bunche* 

Bob6  Lazai 

the  land  of 

French  tra 

found  in  tl: 

that  the  sa 

and  who  cc 

distance  fi' 

unknown  t 

'  Dumon 

of  his  pre 

articles  in 

from  one  i 

'  Jeffervi 

17fi4,  p.  72 

'Ellis's 

*  Buach< 

'  This  b- 

the  beach 

Hudson's 

there  is  i 

Hudson," 

having  tr; 


y 


-i 


▼' 

>, 


29 


iraln  at  work 
;r;itioii,s  of  tlie 
rii.'>  aiKi  theu 
ikulatetl,  pcr- 
wnnted.  Tlie 
eiitioii  to  tills 
esistlble  that 
ii.s   cheerfully 

by  Moiicncht- 

vcries  is  very 
But  if  Its 

;iit  so  loiif;;  as 
ilort'il;  that  It 
us  or  doubtful 
i  theu  kuowu; 

we  Ihiuk  that 
to  us  from  the 
)u  establishes, 
las  uintcrially 
y  so,  it  hardly 
)f  the  story  so 
iiri :  to  the  ac- 
re it  had  been 
u  explorations 
•  new  ground; 
len  witli  their 
en  with  tlieir 
ween  the  two 
I  in  the  later 
>  the  notice  of 

i  powder,  the 
is  the  Orient, 
and  materials 

lity  we  have 
lat  not  alone 
Berys  on  the 
at  discussion. 

'age,  far  from 
act  from  It  in 
■two  years  in 
contradict  M. 


1 


3 


We  have  seen  that  LePage  and  Duinont  espou.sed  o|)poslte  sides,  and 
wliile  we  could  not  discover  in  the  liistory  signs  of  bad  temper,  we 
have  found  the  menioires  bristling  witli  ill  will.  Thu.'<  we  have  been 
able  to  show  a  motive  for  misrepresentation,  jind  if  we  had  concluded 
that  the  Dumoiit  ending  wa.'-  a  forgery,  we  should  have  had  little  doubt 
that  the  rancor  that  he  showed  was  a  sulllclent  f.\planatlon  of  It.  The 
presence  of  the  two  men  in  France'  at  the  time  of  the  publication  of 
the  memoircs,  and  Dnmont's  bold  charge  of  tlie  authorship  of  the  story 
on  LePage  has  served  to  fix  the  responsibility  for  the  two  endings  upon 
him.  The  fact  that  notwithstanding  the  ill-will  that  we  have  traced  to 
Diimont,  his  version  of  the  story  Is  the  more  credilde  of  the  two  adds 
emphasis  to  the  conviction. 

Eiiially,  we  fancy  that  we  may  be  able  to  account,  even  for  the 
change  from  the  smooth-faced  men  of  Sagard  Theodat  to  the  bearded 
men  of  the  story  by  showing  that  such  bearded  men  were  alluded 
to  in  the  publications  of  the  period. 

Spangberg'  in  ITSU  saw  on  the  northern  isles  of  Japan,  men  of  small 
stature  "  with  pretty  long  hair  all  over  their  bodies,  and  the  men  of 
middle  age  had  black,  while  the  old  men  had  grey  beards."  Ellis. ^  in 
1748,  says,  descrjbing  the  most  recent  voyage  to  Hudson's  Bay  in 
searcli  of  a  northwest  passage:  "Tlie  southern  Indians  constantly 
alHrm  that  a  great  oceau  lies  but  a  small  distance  from  their  country 
towards  the  Sun's  setting.  In  which  they  have  seen  slii|)s,  and  on  board 
them  men  having  large  beards  and  wearing  caps." 

Buache*  tells  us  that  he  had  a  letter  written  March  15,  1716,  by  M. 
Bob6  Lazariste  de  Versailles,  in  which  tiie  statement  is  made  that  "  in 
the  land  of  the  Sioux,  at  the  head  of  tlie  Jlississippi  there  are  always 
French  traders ;  that  they  know  that  near  the  source  of  the  river  can  be 
found  in  the  high  lands  a  river  which  leads  to  the  Sea  of  the  West; 
that  the  savages  say  that  they  have  seen  bearded  men  who  have  caps, 
and  who  collect  gold  dust  on  the  edge  of  the  Sea.^  But  it  is  a  very  long 
distance  from  their  country,  and  the\'*  must  pas.s  through  many  tribes 
unknown  to  the  French." 


'  Dumont's  presence  at  this  time  may  be  inferred  from  the  language 
of  his  preface.  LePage  returned  in  1734.  lie  published  some  of  his 
articles  in  the  Journal  (Ecouomlqne  in  17.'>1.  .\t  least  Miiller  quotes 
from  one  of  tiieni  In  the  September  number  ol'  that  year. 

'Jetfervs'  Translation,  Midler's  Voyages  .Vsia  to  .Vmerlca,  London, 
1764,  p.  72. 

'Ellis's  Voyage  to  Hudson  Bay,  London,  1748,  p.  304. 

''  Biiache,  Considerations  Geographkiues,  Paris,  17.")3,  p.  38. 

"■This  belief  In  the  bearded  men  and  also  in  the  gold-bearing  sands  of 
the  beaclics  of  the  Pacific  llnds  occasional  expression  among  these 
Hudson's  Bay  savages.  In  the  Hecnell  d'.Arrests,  Amsterdam,  1720, 
there  Is  a  Relation  by  M.  Jeremle,  entitled  "  Kelatlon  de  la  Bale  de 
Hudson,"  in  which  occurs  this  passage.  "  Tiie  saviiiies  say  that  after 
having  travelled  many  months  to  the  West-Southwe>t.  they  found  the 


^ 


30 

We  come  then  practically  to  the  coucluslon  that  there  Is  nothlnjf  In 
the  story  to  tax  our  credulity  If  we  are  uot  called  upon  to  believe  In  the 
annual  visits  of  the  bearded  men  and  the  various  doubtful  Incidents 
which  their  presence  Involves.  We  have  not  been  able  to  trace  to  the 
historian  a  knowledge,  or  a  possibility  of  Ivuowledge  of  all  the  details  of 
the  Indian's  story  which  subsequent  discovery  has  verified,  and  this 
adds  to  the  probability  that  the  journey  was  actually  accomplished,  ind 
the  story  of  it  related  to  Le  Page  du  Pratz.  We  are  not,  however,  able 
to  relieve  him  fi-oni  responsibility  for  the  double  endings,  and  although 
the  general  tone  and  character  of  his  work  justify  the  high  esteem  lu 
•which  Mr.  Stuart'  held  It,  we  are  nevertheless  forced  to  the  unwilling 
conclusion  that  the  original  story  of  the  savage  suffered  changes  at  his 
hands. 

In  coucluslon  we  express  the  hope  that  the  students  who  mayherf- 
after  have  access  to  Oriental  records,  will  bear  in  mind,  that  proof 
ought  there  to  be  found,  If  proof  there  be,  of  the  habitual  presence  on 
our  shores,  at  that  period,  of  the  bearded  men,— a  presence  which  we 
have  seen  indicated  in  tradition  and  story,  but  for  which  as  yet  we  have 
found  no  other  authority  than  the  helpless  wrecks  which  have  been 
borne  upon  our  coast  by  the  Japanese  current. 


i 


sen,  on  which  they  saw  large  canoes  [these  are  ships]  with  men  who 
had  beards  and  caps,  who  collect  gold  upon  the  edge  of  the  sea  [that  is 
to  say  at  the  mouth  of  the  rivers]." — p.  12.  On  the  26'''  page  of  the 
same  Relation  there  is  another  allusion  to  bearded  men  who  build  stone 
forts,  &c. 

'  Transactions  of  the  Quebec  Literary  and  Historical  Society    of 
Quebec,  Quebec,  1829,  vol.  I.,  p.  198. 


■-■112:'.=^  .  -  ,  ^-^' 


e  Is  nothinf;  In 
)  believe  In  the 
nful  lucldeuta 

0  trace  to  the 
11  the  details  of 
■ifled,  and  this 
iraplishcd,  and 

however,  able 
),  and  although 
ligh  esteem  lu 

1  the  uuwUliug 
changes  at  bis 

tvho  may  here  ■ 
nd,  that  proof  j 
lal  presence  on 
seuce  which  we 
as  yet  we  have 
ilch  have  been 


with  men  who 
the  sea  [that  is 
5"'  page  of  the 
vho  build  stone 


cal  Society    of 


